Don't Cry For Me
by kijani
Summary: Kagome is sick. Very sick. But she isn't about to let that stop her from making sure her friends, especially Inuyasha, are safe...FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait guys, but I've been really busy, and I've finally got some time to myself. My unfinished stories got deleted unfortunately (I know...sorry)...So to make up for that I've written another one, seeing as how at any given moment there are about a million ideas in my head. Just to let you guys know, these chapters are going to be long. This story's going to be epic, I tell you!

...Ahem...anyways, on with the story, and please review and let me know what you think...or else I will be forced to reclaim my title as Queen of the Cliffies!...just kidding...enjoy:D

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**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter One_

Kagome sighed deeply as she looked around her room. Her big, over-stuffed yellow bag sat partially open on her bed, which had already been stripped of its linens. Her closet was empty. Her mother had already taken her school uniforms back to the shop, and now Kagome sat waiting for her to return so that she and her family could travel to the feudal era.

A week ago after a fight with a large bear demon, Kagome had noticed a large bruise on her side. When it did not go away or appear to get any better, the old woman Kaede had suggested that Kagome return to her own time to have the injury looked over by modern doctors. It had been three days since then...three days since Kagome's world had come crashing down on top of her head.

She allowed a single tear to roll down her cheek as she remembered what the doctor had told her the previous day.

_ "Kagome, our tests did not come back with positive results. Unfortunately, we have some very bad news for you. Try to remain calm, and I will explain everything." the doctor had said, and both Kagome's and her mother's hearts jumped into their throats. The doctor cleared his throat in an unnecessarily loud manner. "Our test results showed a very large malignant tumor in your side...around the area where that bruise is now. We were also unfortunate to find that the cancer has spread into various other areas of your body..." _

_ "Cancer?" Kagome's mother yelped. _

_ Kagome swallowed hard. "So, what...what happens now? I'm not going to die, right? I mean, nowadays they have surgery and chemo-therapy to fight these things..." _

_ The doctor's head hung. "Kagome, the cancer has already spread. Putting you under right now would hurt you more than help you. There isn't anything we can do. If you stayed at the hospital, we could try to slow its progression for a little while, but we can't stop it. It has gone untreated for so long...you've probably had it for over a year now..." _

_ Her mother gasped. "You can't stop it?" she repeated. _

_ Kagome took a deep breath, silently allowing several tears to fall down her cheeks. "But I...I feel fine..." she whispered. "I don't understand..." _

_ "That's probably the reason this was able to go untreated so long, Kagome. You don't get sick enough to end up here, and so we've missed it..." _

_ Kagome nodded. "I...how long do I have until I..." Kagome gulped. She couldn't say it. Saying it would mean that it really was true... _

_ Again, the doctors head hung, and his eyes went to the floor. "At this rate..." he paused as both Kagome and her mother took a very deep breath, "at this rate, maybe six months..." _

_ Kagome choked out a sob. "Six months? I can't...I can't..." she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose in an attempt to calm herself. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes again. "Dr. Kunigawa, I want to go home with my family." she said simply. _

_ He blinked. "Excuse me?" _

_ Kagome sighed, and squeezed her mother's hand. "I want to go home, and spend time with my family..." _

_ "But we need you to stay here. The treatment is intense..." he stammered. _

_ Kagome shook her head. "I will do no such thing, especially if doing so would do nothing but prolong what you have just told me is inevitable..." At this, her mother looked up at her surprised. "I want to go home and spend what time I have left with my family and in a familiar environment. I will not spend it locked away in a hospital room. If I must die, I want to do so with my dignity intact, not fighting for something I know will never happen..."_

**When I get where I'm going  
On the far side of the sky  
The first thing that I'm gonna do  
Is spread my wings and fly**

Kagome blinked. The tears that had before only clouded her vision were now spilling freely from her eyes. She did nothing to stop their flow as she hugged herself.

Inuyasha sniffed the air in confusion as he jumped out of the bone eater's well and into the well house of the Higurashi shrine. He could smell the salt of tears. Kagome was crying. He rushed from the well house and to her window. He jumped up and perched himself there. He was surprised to see that Kagome's room was practically devoid of everything it had once held...and not only that, but she had failed to even acknowledge his presence.

"Kagome?"

At the sound of her name Kagome jumped. Her eyes widened when she realized Inuyasha was sitting in her window, and she quickly wiped away all of her tears. She smiled at him. "What are you doing here? I was going to come back today...even bring my family with me..." her voice trailed off.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Oh no you don't. What's wrong, Kagome?" His eyes shone with concern. "Why were you crying? Where are all of your things?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "Inuyasha...I need to tell you something. It's...it's very important..."

Inuyasha blinked. "All right...what is it?"

Kagome sighed, and her bottom lip quivered slightly. Finally, she began to cry again, and she fell forward and wrapped Inuyasha tightly in a hug. She was sobbing now.

"Kagome...please don't cry. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be all right...I can help you..." Inuyasha whispered, pulling her closer to him and rubbing small circles on her back.

Kagome shook her head. "No, Inuyasha...no...you can't." she cried. "I...I'm really sick...that's why none of my stuff is here. That's why my family is coming to the feudal era with me. I don't...I don't plan on returning to my time..." she whispered.

"You're going to stay in the feudal era with us?" Inuyasha sounded pleasantly surprised. This only made Kagome sob more.

"No, Inuyasha...I'm _sick_. I'm going to die..."

Inuyasha gasped and jumped in shock. "What? No, that's not right...it can't be. It was only a bruise, wasn't it? You aren't going to...you can't..." he stammered.

Kagome sighed. "I don't have much of a choice, Inuyasha. This kind of sickness doesn't go away. There aren't any herbs for it. It just spreads and spreads until it can't spread any farther..."

"Stop, Kagome...please..." Inuyasha frowned.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered.

He looked down at the ground. "No, don't apologize. You of all people have nothing you need to apologize for..." He wrapped her back in a tight hug and sighed into her hair. After a moment, he looked down at her. "It doesn't...it doesn't _hurt_, does it?" he whispered.

Kagome seemed to think about this a moment. Finally, she shook her head. "Not yet, it doesn't. The only thing that hurts me is knowing that I will be leaving you and my family behind..." At this she blushed slightly.

Inuyasha blinked in confusion. "Kagome? What did you just say...?"

"Never mind..." she frowned. "Just forget about it. It's best if you do that anyway..."

"Kagome...don't say something like that..." Inuyasha scolded her lightly.

The soft _click_ from the front door down the stairs told them both that Kagome's mother was finally home from her errands. Inuyasha stood and picked up Kagome's over-stuffed yellow bag.

"That's your mom," Inuyasha said, stating the obvious.

Kagome managed to laugh slightly, and cleared away the remainder of her tears. "Did the others know you were coming here to get me?" she asked off-handedly.

Inuyasha looked away. "No...I sort of took off...but I got a little worried when you didn't come back when you said you would...so I thought I should come find you."

Kagome smiled. "That's sweet, Inuyasha. Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything..." Kagome whispered, planting a small kiss on his cheek.

>>>>>>

"Look squirt," Inuyasha looked at Kagome's little brother. "Don't get scared when you don't land on the ground as soon as you jump in. You have to, well..._fall_ into the past, so it takes a minute before you actually reach the ground. When you do, you'll be in my time, so don't even think about climbing out and going exploring until Kagome and I get there. It's dangerous..."

Souta nodded, squeezing the small jewel fragment that Kagome had given him in the palm of his hand. He slung a small book bag over his shoulder, and picked up the cat, Buyo. "Come on, Buyo...we're going to go on an extended vacation..." he smiled.

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I'm going to go...make sure we didn't leave anything important behind inside the house..." she whispered to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha cocked his head sideways in confusion, shrugged, and nodded to Souta. "Go on, kid. If you don't go now we'll be here all day..."

Kagome had almost reached her front door when Inuyasha caught up with her.

"Are you all right?" he whispered.

She smiled. "I've been better." She paused a moment, and Inuyasha took her hand in his.

"Come on, Kagome. Let's go...home. Everyone misses you."

She nodded. "All right."

>>>>>> 

"What took you so long, Inuyasha? What were you and Kagome doing in her time? You were gone a long time..." Miroku whined.

"Shut up, monk. I don't want to have to hurt you," Inuyasha warned him, "but if you continue with that thought path, I'll strangle you with my bare hands."

Miroku threw his hands up. "All right. Shutting up. One more question though...why is Kagome's family here? Isn't it a little...dangerous?"

Kagome sighed. "I'll tell you guys later."

"Mommy!" Kagome's mother's eyes widened when a small fox demon ran and jumped into Kagome's arms. "Granny Kaede was teaching me about the herbs so I can help you!" he said proudly. "Did you bring me any of that candy stuff from your time?"

"_Mommy_?" her grandfather whispered.

"Don't say a word..." Kagome replied.

"What did you need to talk to us about?" asked Sango, walking slowly up to her friend. "I'm glad you're back. You're feeling better, aren't you?"

Kagome smiled quickly, and looked down at Shippo. "Shippo, please take Kirara and ask Granny Kaede to take you over to the neighboring village to get my family some clothing fit for this era, all right?"

Shippo blinked. "Why can't I stay here with you?"

"I need you to do that for me. It's really important..."

"All right, mommy! Come on, Kirara!" he called, and jumped on the back of the newly transformed cat demon. The members of Kagome's family gulped in fear.

When Shippo was out of ear shot and Kagome saw that Kirara was heading in the opposite direction with the old priestess and Shippo, she sighed. "I really need to talk to you guys, all right? Inuyasha...since you already know...could you take my family to my hut, please?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"What is it, Kagome?" Sango asked, worried.

Kagome frowned. "I brought my family with me because I'm very sick...I don't plan on returning to the future...I'm going to die..."

Sango gasped, and choked back a sob.

Kagome smiled. "Don't cry, Sango. It's all right. There isn't anything I can do about it. I wanted to be with you guys...I want to finish this thing with Naraku, and I wanted to be among friends when..." Kagome paused.

Sango swallowed hard, and nodded. "You don't want Shippo to know?"

Kagome shook her head. "No."

"But he's going to wonder..." Miroku began.

"Maybe he won't have to," Kagome whispered. "We have no clue what will happen with Naraku. I have six months to do what I can to make sure that you guys, Shippo, and Inuyasha will be safe from him after I'm...gone. And I am going to do everything in my power to see that he dies before I do..."

"Oh, Kagome...Inuyasha...I'm so sorry..." Miroku whispered.

Kagome shook her head again. "No...it's...all right. I think it's better that he doesn't know how I feel. I don't want him to be any more upset..." She looked down at the ground.

"We'll help you where we can, Kagome..." Sango promised.

"No," Kagome nearly snapped. "Just don't tell Inuyasha where I've gone. I don't want him to get hurt..."

"You're leaving _now_?" Miroku gasped.

Kagome nodded and handed Miroku a folded piece of paper. "This is for my family. Tell everyone that I'll be all right...and I hope to be back soon. I'm going to go find Sesshoumaru..."

Sango blinked several times, but said nothing.

Miroku gulped. "Sesshoumaru?" he repeated.

She nodded. "Yes, Sesshoumaru..." she confirmed. "I have my reasons..."

>>>>>>

"What do you want, miko?" asked Sesshoumaru in his usually uncaring manner. "Why are you out here in the forest alone? Why is my annoying brother not attached to your hip?"

Kagome sighed. "I did not wish him to come along, so I left without him." she admitted. "I came to seek your help in getting rid of Naraku. I...don't want Inuyasha to get hurt..."

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose. "What is your new interest in getting rid of Naraku faster? Do you have a death wish? You are nothing but a miko..."

Kagome shook her head. "I need no wish..." she smirked.

Sesshoumaru paused. "What exactly do you mean by that, miko?" he demanded, his interest seemingly sparked, if only for a moment.

"I am dieing...it is a sickness called cancer. I have six months left...and I want to make sure that Naraku dies well before myself, so that Inuyasha and the others will be safe when I am gone..." she explained.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I must admit that is...noble of you. Although I have never heard of such a sickness..." he frowned. "Are you asking for my help with your quest?"

Kagome nodded. "I think I know you well enough to know that you aren't going to suffer from a guilty conscience if something happens..."

"You are willing to die?" Sesshoumaru blinked.

"I'm going to die anyway..." she reminded him. "At least if I died in battle, I'd die fighting...I'll have at least some control over the circumstances. I feel better about that than I do about dieing sickly and weak with everyone else taking care of me..."

"All right," Sesshoumaru nodded. "If that is how you feel, I will help you..."

>>>>>> 

**A/N: **I hope you guys liked this one. Please review and let me know what you think. The next installment of this story is a bit longer, although I don't want to post anything until I've gotten some feedback about what you guys think about this one.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews, guys. Here's the second installment, but let me answer some questions first. Kagome's little brother's name is indeed spelled with a 'u' in the middle. May seem kind of weird, but it's actually supposed to be like that. Inuyasha calls Kaede an 'old granny' several times in the manga, and Shippo's calling Kagome 'mommy' was my own invention. Sango and Miroku say in the manga at one point that Shippo considers Kagome and Inuyasha his parents, and I am using that to illustrate the closeness of Shippo and Kagome.

Lastly, for those of you who want to know, the song lyric in the first chapter (as well as the continuing lyrics in other chapters) is from a song called _"When I Get Where I'm Going (Don't Cry for Me Down Here" _by Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton.

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**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Two_

"What?" Inuyasha yelped. "You _let_ her go off on her own to find _Sesshoumaru_? She'll go straight for Naraku!"

Miroku nodded. "Yes, Inuyasha. I believe that was her plan, he sighed, pacing back and forth in front of the fire in Kaede's hut. "Don't go running off after her, either, Inuyasha. That's precisely why she didn't talk this over with you first. She wants to do it on her own..."

Inuyasha frowned deeply. "She could _die_, Miroku! And I am supposed to stay here and worry about her while she's gone?"

"Inuyasha...you already know about _that_," Sango whispered, looking at Shippo and the old woman Kaede with caution. "She wants you to stay here..."

Kaede shook her head. "What could possess the girl to go off on her own like that?"

Kagome's grandfather looked as though he might comment, but the look he received from her mother told him that not _everyone_ knew the full extent of Kagome's 'injury'. He took a deep breath and looked away.

"Mommy is strong, Inuyasha. She won't let the demons get her." Shippo stated proudly.

Inuyasha sighed deeply. "If...if she really doesn't want me to follow her...I guess...I guess I can stay here..." he frowned in defeat. "Besides, I doubt any of you would actually let me follow her anyway. This sucks. I hate doing nothing. I am supposed to be the one protecting her, not the other way around..."

"We know, Inuyasha..." Sango nodded sympathetically. "But I'm sure that Kagome will be just fine."

"I hope so..." he whispered.

>>>>>>

"Miko, what on earth are you doing? What is wrong with you?" Sesshoumaru wondered out loud.

Presently, Kagome was leaning up against a nearby tree, her head down, taking deep breaths. Her side felt like it was on fire, and she had suddenly felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. She groaned, sitting up slightly as she did so. Sesshoumaru looked at her with mild interest.

"It's...nothing, Sesshoumaru. I'm...I'm sick, remember? I'll be fine in a moment...I don't know...what's wrong..." Kagome gasped.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "Do you require some water?"

Kagome took a small canteen from her bag and gulped down much of the water inside of it. She took another deep breath. "I'm...fine...We need to keep...just keep going..."

"You can't even breathe properly right now, you stubborn human. How do you expect to be able to walk? Catch your breath, and then we shall continue on...but not before. I am not about to have Inuyasha blame _me_ if you die before we even get to find Naraku..." he snapped.

Kagome blinked. "Is that...what you think?" Taking one more deep breath, Kagome sighed deeply. "I don't plan on dying until after _he_ does, understand? I will not be the first to go down..."

Sesshoumaru's stoic gaze returned to him, and he shrugged. "I don't know about that, miko. After all, you're having trouble breathing already. If this happens during battle, you may end up..."

"Shut up, Sesshoumaru." Kagome warned, her eyes stinging with tears. "I...I have to do this." she stammered. "I can't let them...let _him_ get hurt. I would try to explain it to you, but you wouldn't understand..."

Sesshoumaru blinked. "I, Sesshoumaru, understand far more than you think I do, miko."

"Oh, really?" Kagome smirked.

"Yes. You love my hanyou of a brother quite possibly even more than he loves you, although neither of you will admit it. You want to protect the kitsune because you consider him to be like your own son, and the monk and the demon slayer are like a brother and a sister to you, and you are afraid not that they will fail against Naraku, but that they might get hurt...something you can't stand the thought of. So you came to me so that I might help you do it, thus taking my idiot brother and the others out of the equation..."

Kagome cocked her head sideways, and her mouth hung open slightly in shock. "You...well...fine." Kagome said stubbornly, a slight blush coming to her cheeks as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you ready to walk yet? I am half tempted to leave you," Sesshoumaru snapped, suddenly returning to his normal self.

Kagome nodded silently. "Yes, I...let's go..."

>>>>>>

"Inuyasha...get out of that! Those are Kagome's personal things! You can't just go nosing around through her things just because she isn't here to 'sit' you for it!" Sango whined. "What are you looking for anyway?"

"I'll let you know when I find it," said Inuyasha quickly.

Sango took a deep breath. "I'm going to knock you over the head if you do not tell me right now and get out of Kagome's belongings..." she threatened.

"Here!" Inuyasha smiled triumphantly. "Look...it's from Kagome..."

Sango looked at the piece of paper in Inuyasha's hand with growing interest. "What is it, exactly?" she wondered out loud. "I think it's addressed to you..."

Inuyasha nodded. "I know that!"

"Well, read it you idiot! It could be important!" Sango demanded.

Inuyasha unfolded the paper and read quickly. "Sango...Kagome didn't take the jewel shards with her when she left to find Sesshoumaru..." he whispered.

Sango blinked. "What do you mean?"

"She says she's hidden them somewhere where only either herself or me would think to look..." Inuyasha read. He paused, placing his hand to his chin in thought for a moment. "That could mean...the sacred tree! Kagome has hidden the jewel shards inside of the sacred tree..." he realized.

"I don't understand why she would do that, though." Sango frowned. "Isn't it supposed to be her job to protect the shards?"

Inuyasha paused again. "I think that is what she is doing..." he sighed. "I knew she wouldn't just leave and not leave us _something_ to go by. Her letter said she'd hidden the jewel shards. It kind of makes sense. After all, she is out there looking for Naraku, right?" His eyes went down to the floor when he said this. He was still very unhappy that Sango, Miroku and the others had not allowed him to go get Kagome. He continued. "If she's looking for him, the last thing to do would be to carry those shards around. Her scent attracts demons simply because they know she has the shards. Hiding them means that even if Naraku was in a position where he _could_ get the shards from Kagome," Inuyasha shivered at the thought, "he still wouldn't actually be able to..."

Sango smiled. "That does sound pretty smart..."

"Yeah, well, let's go get them before someone else figures it out." Inuyasha nearly snapped at her.

"All right, Inuyasha..." Sango agreed.

"And Sango?" Inuyasha added.

"Hmm?" she looked back at him.

"If Kagome isn't back in two weeks, I _am_ going after her...and there won't be a thing any of you could say or do short of killing me that would keep me from doing so..."

>>>>>>

"His castle is this way, miko..." Sesshoumaru pointed.

Kagome had stopped walking entirely, and was just staring straight ahead in the direction in which Sesshoumaru was pointing. She blinked and shook her head. "I know that, Sesshoumaru. I can sense his jewel shards just as well as you can detect his scent. I was just...I was thinking..." she explained.

"About what?" Sesshoumaru wondered. "Do you have some sort of plan?"

"I might..." Kagome smiled thoughtfully.

It was Sesshoumaru's turn to stop and stare. "What is it, exactly?" he wondered.

"...if I tried to purify him, would the same thing happen to me as happened to Midoriko?" she asked, instead of answering his question.

He blinked. "You're not thinking..."

"No...this isn't a suicide mission. I'm just...well, I'm not too worried about something bad happening. So what do you think?"

"I do not know..." Sesshoumaru admitted. "I would imagine the same sort of thing will happen..."

Kagome sighed. "Guess I won't be doing that, then..." She paused. "But maybe if I can get close enough, I can hit him where it counts with one of my arrows. I'd have to be really close, though...If I wasn't, he might dodge it...but there's also the possibility that it won't work."

"It's worth a try if you think it will, though. I can help you handle him." Sesshoumaru nodded.

Kagome looked down at the ground. "I know. That's why I found you. But I still don't want to go in to this thing blind. I want to know what I want to do before I get there, so I know I'll be able to do it."

"Well, it sounds like a plan to me..." Sesshoumaru agreed, "I think it will work."

>>>>>>

"Sango, back away, damn it! Let me go! She's been gone too long! I already told you! Now move!" Inuyasha demanded, growing angry. "I have to go find her! She could be hurt!"

"Inuyasha...she didn't want you following her." Sango replied simply.

Inuyasha seemed to be thinking about this for a moment. "That doesn't count anymore because she has been gone for too long." he decided, leaping over Sango, and running into the forest.

Sango sighed and looked down at the half-completed jewel in her hand. It was Kagome's to protect...but Kagome was off trying to protect everyone else...and now, Inuyasha was gone too.

"Kaede!" Sango hollered.

The old woman stepped out of her hut, where she had been talking to Kagome's mother and little brother about their new duties around the village. She blinked several times when she saw Sango holding the piece of the jewel. She held it up.

"What do ye need, Sango?" asked the old woman.

Sango frowned. "What do I do with this?" she asked.

The old woman stared at the jewel. "Well, we won't be burning it again, that's for sure. That didn't exactly work last time, so I think...wait a minute!" Kaede realized. "Why do ye have the jewel shard? Where is Inuyasha? Has he gone off after Kagome already?"

Sango nodded and sighed in defeat. "She has been gone quite a while, though, Kaede. I understand how Inuyasha could get worried...especially considering what she left us to do."

"She's...she's going to be all right, isn't she?" It was Kagome's mother. She was now standing in the doorway with Kaede.

Sango frowned. "She's strong, Ms. Higurashi." She replied. She wasn't about to tell Kagome's mother that what she was doing was very dangerous...or what happened _last_ time the group had come up against Naraku...

>>>>>>

"What makes you think that you can come into my castle and dispose of me?" Naraku smirked as one of his tentacles shot out at Kagome, then at Sesshoumaru. "Where are the rest of your little friends, eh?"

"Shut up. That's none of your concern." Kagome snapped.

"Really now? Well, why would you be here all alone save Lord Sesshoumaru if there wasn't a really good reason for it?"

"Quit your mind games hanyou!" Sesshoumaru spat, running forward and slashing his sword at Naraku.

Kagome looked back behind herself. In the quiver on her back, she had only three arrows left. In the beginning, Naraku had dodged two, and stolen several more from her. Kagome shook her head. She gasped as another one of Naraku's tentacles shot out. This time it wrapped itself firmly around her waist.

Kagome screamed. The bruise on her side felt as though it was burning.

Naraku laughed. "Hmm? Are you already injured?" he smirked. "That's interesting. Want to hear a secret? It doesn't bother me that Inuyasha isn't here. It was you, I wanted..."

"Let me go. I'm not Kikyou." Kagome smirked.

Naraku blinked. "You think I don't know that? I don't want you alive, silly girl." he smiled. "With you dead, the only person who will be able to see the jewel shards is Kikyou. But before I kill you, maybe you should tell me where the remainder of the jewel is..."

"That's funny...you think I'm going to tell you...?"

Naraku thought about this. "That's true. Maybe I should just absorb you instead?"

Sesshoumaru jumped up and slashed at Naraku's tentacle. Kagome fell to the ground. She was only a couple feet from Naraku by that time. She got to her knees and looked up. Sesshoumaru was standing there. He nodded.

Kagome aimed her arrow and shot quickly. Her arrow hit its mark, but just as it hit, another one of Naraku's tentacles shot out. This one hit Kagome in the stomach. She jumped back, aimed, and shot another arrow.

Just as Naraku fell to the ground, so did she.

Sesshoumaru blinked, and let his sword fall to his side. There was nothing left of Naraku to use it on. Behind him, the miko was unconscious on the ground. Sesshoumaru stepped forward. The other half of the sacred jewel that was missing from the miko's collection was glittering in the sunlight. Sesshoumaru picked it up, pocketed it, and walked back over to Kagome. He picked her up.

Just as he reached the forest, Inuyasha caught up with him.

"Sesshoumaru! What the...what happened?" he demanded.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "It was quick...but at least it is over..." he told his half brother.

"And Kagome?" Inuyasha looked down at the unconscious girl in Sesshoumaru's arms. "Is she...is she all right?" he whispered.

Again, Sesshoumaru nodded. "She is only unconscious, Inuyasha. She isn't in any other danger at the moment...aside from her own sickness..." Sesshoumaru frowned. "I think she hoped she would die fighting him..."

"What? No! The Kagome I know would never say or think something like that!" Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Think about it for a moment, Inuyasha. Are you really willing to just sit there and watch her wither away for the next several months? To grow weak...to die? I don't think she likes that idea either..."

"I'm not..." Inuyasha admitted. "I'm not willing to watch her die. I can't lose her...but this time, I don't have a choice about it..."

"Humans are mortal, Inuyasha. You've always known that. Your mother was mortal. She died. Humans are born, they grow old, and they die. For someone like you, or a full blooded demon like myself, the process is different, and it takes much longer. Knowing this, you should already know that falling in love with a human was a useless investment of your emotions, anyway. Even if she does love you back, it doesn't change the fact that her life is coming to an end..."

Inuyasha blinked. "What...what did you just say to me?"

>>>>>>

**A/N:** Please review and let me know what you think, and I will try to have the next chapter out soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Here's chapter three! Hope you guys like it:D Please review!

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Three_

Sesshoumaru's words rang through Inuyasha's ears as he carefully carried Kagome back to the village. The remaining chunk of the jewel, which Sesshoumaru had thankfully thought to pick up, was now in Inuyasha's pocket. Kagome did not stir throughout the entire journey. When they returned to the village, Inuyasha laid Kagome down.

She groaned and flinched slightly. Inuyasha jumped with worry, and began to run his fingers slowly through her hair. "You're all right..." he whispered to her. "You're safe. You're back home..."

A single tear rolled down Kagome's cheek, and Inuyasha swallowed hard.

**I will land beside the lion  
Run my fingers through his mane  
Or I might find out  
What it's like  
To ride a drop of rain**

"Inuyasha?" he turned around. It was Kagome's mother. She smiled at him. "Are you all right?" she asked.

After a moment, he nodded. "I'm...I'm fine. I just worry about her is all. She's...she cried in her sleep a moment ago. I don't like to see her cry..." he admitted.

Kagome's mother shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I understand how you must feel...but I think there will be a lot more tears to come..." she told him, patting him lightly on the back. "And you know, it's all right if some of those tears are yours. I have cried about this. So has Souta and gramps. I've seen the demon slayer and the monk crying as well...and Lady Kaede was very upset about the news. Even Kagome has cried about this, Inuyasha. It's all right if you need to cry too..."

"I don't cry." Inuyasha smirked, although he glanced back at Kagome for a moment as he said this.

"You may not...but you just might _need_ to every once in a while..." Kagome's mother replied. "No one is going to think any less of you for it."

Inuyasha nodded, but said nothing. Kagome's mother smiled at him, pat him on the back once more, and turned to leave Kagome's hut. Inuyasha returned to stroking her hair. After a couple minutes, Kagome finally stirred.

"What...what happened? Is it over? Is everyone all right?" she whispered.

Inuyasha looked down at her and nodded. "Yes, we're all fine. Although you nearly gave me a heart attack rushing off on your own like that..." he admitted to her.

She smiled. "I'm...I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I just didn't want you to get hurt. I hope I didn't upset you..." she frowned slightly.

Inuyasha shook his head, and pulled Kagome into a tight hug. "No...it's not like that, Kagome. I wasn't upset with you. I was worried about you. Really worried. I was so scared that you would get hurt, and that I wouldn't be there to help you..." He paused. "I was afraid that I was going to lose you even sooner..."

Kagome gasped in surprise as she felt the heat of Inuyasha's tears. He was doing so silently, but he was indeed actually crying. Kagome pulled back slightly and smiled as she wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"Don't cry, Inuyasha. It's all right. I'm not scared about this. I'm just...I'm sad to be leaving you. But please don't cry over me..." she snuggled herself back into his chest and sighed deeply.

**When I get where I'm going  
There'll be only happy tears  
I will shed these sins and troubles  
I have carried all these years  
And I'll leave my heart wide open  
I will love and have no fear  
Yeah, when I get where I'm going  
Don't cry for me down here**

"Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered. "I don't think I can lose you."

Kagome swallowed hard. "Neither one of us has a choice about that, Inuyasha."

"I know that, Kagome, but I...I think I l..."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered, interrupting him. "Please don't say it. I don't want this to be any harder on either of us than it already is. I don't want to be scared to die..."

Inuyasha shut his mouth tightly and nodded. He wrapped his arms around Kagome and gasped. He hadn't noticed it before, but she felt really thin. He looked down at her. "Have you eaten lately? I can go make you something to eat? I think you've lost weight, and that's not good for you when you're sick, Kagome..."

Kagome sighed. She too, had noticed her sudden weight loss, but she was hoping that this detail would escape Inuyasha's attention for a little while longer. She had only been in the feudal era for three months, and she was hoping to make it to the six that her and the doctor had talked about. She swallowed hard.

"Yes, Inuyasha..." she nodded, "I think I would like something to eat..."

Grateful to be off of their earlier topic of conversation, Kagome sighed with relief and slowly helped herself up into a standing position to help Inuyasha make some food. Outside, Sango had Shippo sitting on one knee, and her little brother Souta sitting on the other. Judging by their wide eyes and smiles, Sango was telling them one of the stories about one of their many encounters with Naraku or of her old demon exterminator days. Closer to the fire sat Miroku and her grandfather, who seemed to be deep in conversation about something which Kagome herself could not make out. Nearer to the woods stood the old woman Kaede, who was no doubt trying to teach Kagome's mother about the various different herbs Kagome had once had to learn about. Inuyasha already sat cross-legged near the fire. He was waiting on a pot of water to boil.

Kagome sighed and smiled slightly. Inuyasha making food of course meant ramen. She laughed slightly and took a seat next to him.

"Ramen?" she asked.

Inuyasha nodded, and Kagome couldn't help but giggle.

At hearing her voice, Shippo abandoned Sango's knee and ran towards Kagome happily.

"I'm glad you're awake! Sango was telling us about how her village used to slay the mean demons!" he smiled.

Kagome laughed. "You've heard those stories about a million times, haven't you?"

He nodded with enthusiasm. "Of course! But they get better each time!" he insisted.

"That's good." Kagome agreed with him. He jumped from her lap and ran back over to Sango.

Kagome's mother cleared her throat. "So...you never actually explained to us why the little fox boy calls you 'mommy', Kagome. I know it's a story I would love to hear." She took a seat next to her daughter.

Kagome smiled. "He's not _really_ my son, mom. You know that..." Kagome sighed. "But he might as well be. The thunder brothers killed his parents way back when I first started coming here. When he found Inuyasha and me, he was all by himself, so he started traveling with us. After a while, we kind of took it up as part of our job to help raise him. Inuyasha and me are the only parents he's known for quite a while..." Kagome explained.

Her mother nodded in understanding.

Kagome frowned. "Maybe Sango will be able to watch over him after I've..."

Inuyasha looked over quickly, as though he was afraid of what Kagome might say. He swallowed quickly. "The food...the ramen is done." he coughed.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." Kagome smiled at him. She picked up a bowl and some chopsticks and slowly began to eat. Inuyasha seemed slightly comforted at this.

Inuyasha sighed deeply and busied himself eating his own bowl of ramen. "What are we supposed to do now?" he asked her in-between bites.

She looked up at him, confused for a moment, and blinked. "Hmm?"

"I mean...now that Naraku is not in the way..." Inuyasha explained himself. "What are we supposed to do? The only remaining shards are the ones in Kouga's legs and the one in Kohaku's back..."

"I know that much," Kagome agreed. "I think Kohaku should be safe from harm now that Naraku is dead..." she thought out loud. "Kouga will more than likely give you guys his shards willingly..." Kagome sat her bowl down.

Inuyasha glanced at her. "Aren't you going to eat any more of that?" he asked with concern.

"I can't eat anymore of it, Inuyasha. I'm...full, is all..." Kagome insisted. "I feel fine."

Kagome's mother sighed deeply and shook her head, looking away from her daughter. Kagome was getting thinner, eating less, and sleeping more. Since they had arrived in the feudal era, Kagome had spent almost all of her time with that 'Sesshoumaru' character hunting down the demon Naraku that her mother had heard so much about. It had been a long process, and Ms. Higurashi remembered the monk and the demon slayer literally having to guard Inuyasha to keep him from going out in search of her. They had succeeded up until about a week ago when Inuyasha finally left to look for her. He did not return with her until two days ago.

Ms. Higurashi could easily tell that her daughter was trying to hide her deteriorating condition from her friends, and especially from Inuyasha...although she was sure that the quiet hanyou already had his own suspicions. It pained her to watch her daughter grow thinner and weaker as the days passed. The doctor had promised them six months together...but they had already spent almost three of those apart.

"Mom?" Kagome's voice brought her mother out of her own thoughts and back into reality.

"What is it, Kagome?" she smiled.

Kagome blinked. "Are you all right?" she wondered.

Her mother nodded and flashed another smile. "I was just thinking, Kagome. It's nothing to worry about..."

"What were you thinking about?" Kagome questioned, scooting closer to her mother.

She sighed. "You. I was thinking about you, Kagome." she whispered. "You don't look well any longer..." she admitted.

Kagome's expression turned instantly to a frown. "I know, mom." She paused a long while. "I am beginning to think that maybe six isn't our lucky number..."

"Kagome!" Her mother gasped. "Don't say such things!"

"I'm sorry..." Kagome whispered apologetically. "But I know even you're thinking the same thing..." she accused.

Inuyasha frowned and stood. "I don't...I don't want to hear it." he snapped sternly. "I don't want to hear talk about when you die. I can't deal with it."

Kagome blinked. "I'm...I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I don't mean to upset you."

He looked down and smiled slightly. "It's all right, Kagome...I'm sorry I was snappy with you. I don't mean to be, really..."

"We're all upset about this whole situation, Inuyasha." Kagome's mother reminded him.

Inuyasha swallowed. "But I...never mind..." He shook his head and walked off toward the forest.

"What was he going to say, Kagome?" asked her mother with a tone of curiosity.

Kagome sighed. "I...don't worry about it, mom..." Kagome whispered, taking a deep breath. "I'm not feeling that well right now. I think I'm going to go lay down..."

"Kagome..." her mother sighed, and Kagome stopped in her tracks. "I think I know what this might be about...and I'm sorry it had to turn out that way. I wish we could have done something to change this..." her mother sympathized.

Shippo looked over in curiosity, and Kagome quieted her quickly. "I wish there was, too, mom...but I don't think there is. Please...don't let Shippo hear you. I don't want him to know that I am sick..."

"Where did Inuyasha go?" Her mother asked her next question.

Kagome sighed and looked towards the forest. She frowned. "He's just gone to think for a little bit. He'll be back soon. He just needs some time to himself..."

>>>>>>

"Inuyasha...just how long do you plan on sitting up in that tree like that and sulking? It's very unbecoming, especially from a hanyou of royal blood. If our father could see you like that right now, he'd have your neck in a sling..." Sesshoumaru smirked.

"Go away, Sesshoumaru. I'm not in the mood to deal with you." Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshoumaru's expression did not change. "I believe I have already told you what I think about that matter..." he replied.

"I don't care what you think. I know that she's human, Sesshoumaru. I know that. I understand all that you said. But that doesn't make it any easier to accept. I feel...weak. Kagome seems to have accepted her own fate willingly, but whenever I hear talk of it, I feel as if my blood is going to boil. I can't just sit around and watch her die. She spent so long with you hunting down Naraku, and lost time with us and her family. She's sick. You can _tell_ now. She's getting so thin, she has no energy, and I don't know what to do about it. I don't know how to save her..." he stammered. "I don't know what I am supposed to do."

"Maybe some people aren't meant to be saved, Inuyasha...?" Sesshoumaru suggested. "I know you promised to protect her...I heard it myself...but maybe this time you just can't do it..."

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, and Sesshoumaru turned around.

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha called, finally jumping down from his perch in the sacred tree.

Sesshoumaru pivoted on his heel. "What is it now?" he asked.

Inuyasha gulped. "What would you do?"

"I've already told you." Sesshoumaru said quickly.

"No. What would you do if it wasn't Kagome? What if it was Rin?" Inuyasha whispered.

>>>>>>

**A/N:** Yeah, had to leave this one there. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I really appreciate it! Please keep the reviews coming, and I will try to come up with the next installment soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Here's chapter four! Couldn't have you guys wondering about what Sesshoumaru says for too long, now could I? Please keep the reviews coming!

>>>>>>

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Four_

"You haven't answered me yet, Sesshoumaru. What would you do? You can't just walk away this time." Inuyasha growled. "If it was Rin..."

"But it isn't..." Sesshoumaru said quickly.

Inuyasha nodded. "That's true. But she is human. So if it _was _her..."

"Damn it, Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru growled.

"Have I hit a soft spot? Then you actually know how I feel then, don't you? If it was Rin, you wouldn't be able to just stand by and watch her die, would you? You would want to do something to help her...to save her...wouldn't you...?"

"Inuyasha..." Sesshoumaru frowned in a voice barely above a whisper. "It's different."

"No it isn't, you damn hypocrite!" Inuyasha yelled. "You can't stand there all high and mighty and tell me to let Kagome die when you yourself wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to swish that sword of yours around and save that little girl's life! You've already done it once! You can not stand there and tell me that it's any different, because it..." Inuyasha stopped, his mouth hung slightly open, as if he had suddenly come to a realization of some type.

Sesshoumaru took a step back and blinked several times. "Inuyasha? What are you...?"

"The sword. Our father's sword...the tenseiga. It has the power to bring humans back to life. Dad brought my mom back to life after Takemaru killed her when I was born...and you used the sword to bring back Rin..." Inuyasha gasped.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "Inuyasha...don't think ahead of yourself. The tenseiga will not always work..."

"Are you telling me that you are not willing to try?" Inuyasha sighed in defeat.

Sesshoumaru paused. He seemed to be thinking about this for a long time. Finally, he took a deep breath. "Yes. We can try...but I will not guarantee anything..."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. He swallowed and nodded. "Good, because if you had said no, I was going to take the sword from you anyway..."

"Inuyasha...we will still have to wait until she dies..." Sesshoumaru reminded him. "That will be painful..."

"I know..." Inuyasha nodded. "But if you have tenseiga, there is always that chance..."

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "Do not base your happiness on that, Inuyasha. We do not even know that it will work."

"Yes, but I can hope." Inuyasha nodded. "Right now that's all I need..."

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but then closed it quickly. He sighed and turned around. "Inuyasha, I will not be far from here. Rin and Jacken are waiting for me at father's old castle beyond those trees." Sesshoumaru pointed in a westward direction. He paused for a moment. "Should anything happen, rush to get me as soon as you can..." he instructed.

Inuyasha swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "Sesshoumaru?"

"Hmm?" the demon lord turned around.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you...for your help. Really." he said quietly, and nodded to his older brother.

Sesshoumaru said nothing, but only walked away silently.

>>>>>>

"Kagome, it's time to get up, sweetie..." Kagome's mother whispered into her ear as she slowly pulled her daughter's sleeping bag off of her. "You can't sleep in all day. You'll have even less energy and you'll only feel worse..." her mother told her. "Please get up..."

Kagome groaned and raised her head slightly. She sat up slowly and pulled the sleeping bag up around her shoulders with a small shiver.

Her mother smiled. "I'm glad you've at least decided to sit up. After you've eaten a bit, you can go back to bed if you want. I was just worried you would make yourself feel worse, is all..." she explained. "I'm sorry."

Kagome shook her head. "Don't be." she smiled. "Did Inuyasha ever decide to come back last night? There are times I swear he could sleep in the sacred tree if we let him..."

Her mother nodded. "He came back last night after you went to sleep, Kagome. He said he talked to his brother...even seemed to be in a slightly better mood. Although he wouldn't really tell me what it was about." She paused in thought. "He sat right there and watched you sleep up until about an hour ago..." She pointed to the corner of the hut and grinned. "He really does care about you a lot, Kagome..."

"Yes, he does, mom." Kagome agreed. "That's what worries me. I don't want this whole situation to upset him any further than I already know it does." She looked around the hut for a minute to see if Shippo was nearby. "This is hard enough to deal with..."

Kagome's mother blinked as though realization had suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. "Kagome..." she gasped. "Don't get upset about how much Inuyasha cares. He can't help it. He loves you and he knows he's losing you..."

It was Kagome's turn to blink. "You just said..."

"I had a feeling that was what upset him so much yesterday, Kagome...especially when you pretended not to know why he was so distraught..."

Kagome frowned and directed her eyes downward. "He tried to say it..." she admitted under her breath, and her mother looked up in interest. "He tried to tell me, but I didn't want him to say it. I don't want to hear him say it, and know that there is nothing that I can do about it. None of it really matters anymore, because I won't be around long enough to do anything about it...so I'd rather just not have to deal with it at all..."

"Oh, Kagome...is that what's been wrong?" her mother wrapped her in a hug, and Kagome nodded.

>>>>>>

"Sango...Miroku...where have Shippo and Souta gone?" asked Inuyasha, coming quietly out of the forest.

Sango thought a moment. "I think they went with Lady Kaede and Kagome's little brother to go help in the neighboring village for the day." she answered. "Why? What's wrong? Nothing has happened, right?" For a moment, the look in her eyes showed grave worry.

Inuyasha shook his head quickly. "No...not that," he insisted. "I talked to Sesshoumaru last night, and I thought of something."

"What is it, Inuyasha?" asked Miroku, taking a step forward. "I'm guessing it has something to do with Lady Kagome, seeing as how you didn't want Shippo or Souta around?"

Inuyasha nodded. "You're right about that." He smiled. "This whole time, I have been wondering if there was any way to save Kagome, and last night when I was talking to Sesshoumaru, I realized that he has had the answer the whole time..."

"What is that supposed to mean?" frowned Sango in confusion.

Inuyasha sighed. "It means that my father gave Sesshoumaru the healing sword tenseiga. Sesshoumaru believed it to be practically useless...but it could work! Sesshoumaru has used it before, to bring the little girl Rin back to life...and I know for a fact that my father used the sword to bring my mother back to life before he was killed. Sesshoumaru has agreed to try...but he is not sure whether or not the sword will work..."

"But it's worth a try!" Miroku jumped happily.

"Sh!" Sango warned.

"Keep your voice down, monk! I do not want Kagome's family to hear a word about this! I don't want to give them any false hope. Sesshoumaru isn't sure that the sword will work, so I would rather they not know he was going to try it...just in case it doesn't..." he whispered.

Sango and Miroku nodded in understanding.

Sango sighed. "I'm glad that the two of you thought of that, Inuyasha..." she frowned. "I was starting to worry. Kagome gets more and more sick with each passing day..."

"I know, Sango. All we can do is hope for the best at this point..." Inuyasha nodded.

>>>>>>

"Mom...no. I don't want any more. Please..." Kagome whined. "My stomach hurts. It burns..." she cried.

Her mother gasped. "Burns? Your stomach _burns_?" she repeated.

Kagome groaned and nodded.

"It'll be all right, sweetie...lay down..." her mother whispered. Kagome fell back onto her pillow. Kagome's mother placed a hand on Kagome's cheek only to find that it was very hot to the touch. She pulled her hand away in slight alarm, nodded to her daughter, and ran quickly from the hut.

Once outside, she took a deep breath. "Inuyasha! Sango! Miroku! Hurry back! I need your help! Kagome is sick!" she yelled. She looked back inside the hut. Kagome was lying with her head on her pillow and her eyes closed, clutching at her stomach.

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head when he heard the yells of Kagome's mother. He looked to Sango and Miroku, and ran in the direction that her voice was coming from. With the help of Kirara, Sango and Miroku were able to keep up with his fast pace.

"Ms. Higurashi!" Inuyasha yelped as he arrived at the hut. "What's wrong?"

"I've gotten her to calm down, but I need you to stay with her. I have to go get lots of cold water. I didn't want to leave her alone...she's burning up, Inuyasha..." she whispered fearfully as she grabbed as many buckets as she could hold and ran quickly from the hut. Sango and Miroku followed her.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha dropped to his knees beside her and carefully laid her head in his lap. "You're going to be all right, Kagome. It's just a fever..." He touched her cheek with the back of his hand, and pulled it back in alarm. "It's just a fever," he repeated. "Sango, Miroku, and your mom have gone to get you some cold water, all right?"

A single tear slid down Kagome's cheek. "It burns..." she whispered. "But I felt fine..."

"It's okay, Kagome..." Inuyasha smiled down at her. "I'm right here. Keep talking to me. Don't go back to sleep. Sleeping is bad right now..."

Kagome's eyes began to close again for a moment, but snapped open suddenly. "I want to go to sleep, Inuyasha..." she cried. "I don't feel good..."

"You can't, Kagome. You have to stay awake and talk to me. We can talk about whatever you want to talk about, but you have to stay awake and you have to keep talking..."

"No, Inuyasha...it hurts..."

"Your mom has gone to get you some water, Kagome. Let's talk about when you first met me. Do you remember? I was such a jerk back then, wasn't I?" he smiled at her.

Kagome grinned slightly. "You have your moments..." she whispered.

**I'm going to walk with my gandaddy  
and he'll match me step for step  
and I'll tell him how I missed him  
every minute since he left  
then I'll hug his neck**

"Come on, Kagome...and then we met Shippo...remember?" He shook her slightly to keep her from nodding off. He could hear her mother, Sango, and Miroku coming down the path with buckets full of cold water.

"Sleepy..." Kagome sighed.

"No, Kagome...wake up. Your mom is here. She has water..." Inuyasha propped Kagome up slightly and took a small cup of cold water from her mother. He touched the cup to Kagome's lips, but they remained closed.

"Come on, Kagome..." frowned her mother. "Please drink some of the water..."

Kagome's lips parted slightly, and Inuyasha brought the cup up to her lips a second time. This time, he allowed a small bit to trickle down her throat. She swallowed hard, and Inuyasha brought the cup up again, this time trying to get her to take a bigger drink.

"Come on, Kags..." he whispered. "Drink. It'll help you..."

Kagome closed her lips once more and allowed her head to fall back against Inuyasha's chest.

"Kagome!" Sango gasped.

"Wake up, Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled.

Miroku picked up the demon cat Kirara and ran from the hut.

"Where is he going?" yelped Sango.

Inuyasha's breath stopped in his throat. Kagome's breathing was getting more and more shallow. Her heartbeat, which had once been a steady drum of beats, was slowing and getting harder and harder for even his ears to hear.

He paled. "Sango! Tell Miroku to go get Sesshoumaru if that isn't where he's already heading! And hurry!" he commanded her, and she too, ran from the hut.

"Kagome..." her mother choked. "Inuyasha?"

"Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered in her ear. "Don't leave us. Don't leave me..."

He stopped. His mouth hung open in shock. Kagome gasped...and then he could no longer hear her heart beat. She fell back against him, and he leaned back to support her weight. Her mother screamed and jumped forward, knocking over one of the buckets of water that had been meant to help her daughter.

**Yeah when I get where I'm going  
There'll be only happy tears  
I will shed the sins and struggles **

**I have carried all these years  
and I'll leave my heart wide open  
I will love and have no fear  
Yeah when I get where I'm going  
Don't cry for me down here. **

>>>>>>

"Sesshoumaru!" Miroku screamed. "Sesshoumaru! Are you here? Answer me, damn it! This is important!"

Miroku heard something and spun around on his heel to find the little girl Rin and the lizard Jacken staring at him.

"What do you want with my master, you lowly human?" demanded Jacken.

"Shut up you little toad and tell me where he has gone! Lady Kagome is in trouble and I do not have the time to waste on you!" Miroku growled. "He promised Inuyasha he would try and help her!"

"Rin thinks Lord Sesshoumaru is in the back..." the young human girl pointed.

However, directions were not needed. Almost the moment she said this, as if he was waiting for some type of cue, the missing Sesshoumaru appeared in front of the flustered monk.

"What is it?" he asked, his usual stoic expression on his face.

"It's Kagome, Sesshoumaru..." Miroku breathed. "Please...I think she needs your help now..." he said urgently.

>>>>>>

**A/N:** Bwa ha ha! No, just kidding. Please review and I'll update ASAP.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Here's chapter five! Thanks for the reviews! Please let me know what you think of this one!

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter F_ive

"Kagome...it'll be all right." Inuyasha whispered to the silent girl in his arms. "Miroku went to get help. It's going to be fine. Just don't let them take your soul..."

Kagome's mother gasped. "What did you mean by that?"

"If they take show up and take her soul, Sesshoumaru won't be able to help her."

"Take her soul?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yes. We can't see them, though. Only Sesshoumaru can when he wields the tenseiga..."

Kagome's mother nodded, although she did not fully understand what Inuyasha was talking about. After a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence, Miroku rushed into the room. Sesshoumaru followed calmly behind Miroku, his healing sword tenseiga drawn.

He looked down at Kagome with the same gaze he used for everyone and everything else. Raising his sword above his head, he took a step forward.

Kagome's mother gasped. "What is he doing?" she demanded.

Inuyasha shook his head. "He isn't going to use it on her...not _really_, anyway." Inuyasha assured her. "If everything goes as it should go...hopefully it will bring her back..."

"Bring her back?" her mother repeated.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yes...with a clean bill of health."

Sesshoumaru nodded slowly, as if to confirm this fact, and took another step forward. He looked down once more, and his eyebrow rose as he swished his sword at the various unseen soul-stealing demons that had started to gather around Kagome's body. If these things got what they were coming for, there would be no coming back for Kagome...but this time was peculiar. Kagome did not even have her entire soul to give...yet Sesshoumaru had never seen so many little pests before. He swished his sword several times before finally placing it back in its sheath and taking a step back.

He looked to Inuyasha and nodded. Inuyasha swallowed hard and took a deep breath. For a long while there was still nothing more than the silence that the room had been filled with before.

Finally, Kagome gasped, taking a deep breath, and coughed hard into Inuyasha's haori. She was still pale, but she was alive, and the color was slowly returning to her skin. Her mother screamed, jumped up, and embraced Sesshoumaru.

"Thank you!" She cried. "Thank you so much for helping her!"

Sesshoumaru looked surprised and slightly taken aback by the suddenness of the woman's actions, and remained stiff. When she finally released him, he nodded once more to Inuyasha and turned to leave the hut.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha called.

The demon lord stopped just as he had exited the hut. "What?" he asked.

"Really...thank you. You may not think it means much, but it really does." he explained in a whisper.

"You're...welcome, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru replied, and then continued to walk away.

Kagome's mother enveloped both Inuyasha and Kagome in a hug next, crying into Inuyasha's shoulder as she did so.

"Mom..." Kagome whispered. "It's all right...I'm fine..." She smiled. "Thanks to Sesshoumaru. I can't believe he did that for me..." she sighed. "I didn't thank him before he left."

"It's all right," Inuyasha smiled. "You can trust that I thanked him enough for the both of us." he promised her. "I think I struck a nerve with him the last time we had a talk. He seems to be a little different now..."

"How so?" asked Kagome's mother curiously as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

Inuyasha thought about this a moment. "Well, for example, the Sesshoumaru I know would have probably sliced you into two pieces if you had tried to hug him before. But he didn't..." Inuyasha explained. "That's good, isn't it?"

"Inuyasha..." Kagome blushed. "You're still holding on to me. Do you plan on letting me stand up on my own, or are we going to stay here like this?"

"I'm comfortable," Inuyasha admitted with a grin. "It could work..."

"Inuyasha!" yelled both Kagome and her mother.

Inuyasha sighed and let Kagome up. When she was finally standing, he was able to get a much better look at her. Her skin had returned to its normal color. It was no longer pale and clammy. She appeared to have her normal weight back as well. There was nothing to indicate that only twenty minutes ago, she had been dead in his very arms.

He blinked. "Kagome?" he questioned.

"Hmm Inuyasha?" she replied, turning to face him again.

"The bruise..." he whispered. "Is it...it's gone, isn't it?"

Kagome thought about this for a moment, and very slowly, she brought her hand to her side and pressed inward. She seemed to be holding her breath for a moment. Finally, she smiled. "It's gone, Inuyasha. It's nothing to worry about anymore."

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded again. "Yes, really..." she grinned at him.

Kagome's mother clapped her hands together softly and smiled. Kagome yelped in surprise as Inuyasha jumped up, picking her up and spinning her around. When he finally put her back down, she laughed.

"I'm glad that puts you in a good mood..." she grinned.

"Hey, it's not funny! I watched you die! Can't you give me a little bit of a break?" Inuyasha whined.

Having heard the noises, Sango rushed inside with Miroku and the demon cat Kirara following shortly after. Sango had tears in her eyes as she stared at Kagome, alive and healthy as she had been before she got sick. She smiled at her and wrapped her tightly in a hug.

"I'm glad you decided to come back to us, Kagome. I don't know what I would have done had you left me by myself with Inuyasha and the monk over there..." she whispered.

"You probably would have killed Miroku." Kagome joked, but beside Sango, Miroku gulped.

Sango began to laugh.

"Shh.." Kagome warned them. "I don't want to scare people. I'll talk to Shippo and Souta as soon as they get back with Lady Kaede..." she decided.

Inuyasha smiled and took her hand. "You aren't talking to them until after you've had a chat with me first, Kagome," he said decisively.

Kagome blinked. "What is that supposed to mean?" she wondered out loud.

"We need to finish a conversation that you would barely let me start back before...back when you were sick. Now that you aren't anymore, I think it's only fair that I get the time to say what I was going to say, because now you have no excuse not to let me..."

Kagome looked around in confusion, but as she glanced at her mother, finally realized what her favorite hanyou must have been talking about. She blushed, gulped, and nodded. "All right, Inuyasha...Where shall we go?"

>>>>>>

"Master, what are you doing? Did you just go help your filthy half-breed brother? Did you just save that human girl's life? Why would you do that, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jacken asked in a whiny sort of voice.

Sesshoumaru turned to glare at the demon toad. He did not even have to say anything to get Jacken to stop talking...he never had to. But he talked anyway. "It's really nothing of your concern, Jacken. The girl went with me in the fight with Naraku...I felt I owed her something for that...as for Inuyasha...he made a good point..."

"What do you mean, Lord Sess...?" Jacken began, but was quickly cut off.

"No questions, Jacken. I trust Rin was well behaved while I was away?"

The toad demon seemed to think about this a moment. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. She is in her room. I protected her while you were away helping the dirty hu...I mean...the miko and your brother..."

Sesshoumaru nodded, and waved his hand.

"Shall I go get...?" Jacken began again.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, Jacken. You are supposed to be protecting her whilst I am gone, anyway. Letting her out of your sight is not a good way to accomplish this..."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru..."

_"You haven't answered me yet, Sesshoumaru. What would you do? You can't just walk away this time." Inuyasha growled. "If it was Rin..."_

_"But it isn't..." Sesshoumaru said quickly._

_Inuyasha nodded. "That's true. But she is human. So if it was her..."_

_"Damn it, Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru growled._

_"Have I hit a soft spot? Then you actually know how I feel then, don't you? If it was Rin, you wouldn't be able to just stand by and watch her die, would you? You would want to do something to help her...to save her...wouldn't you...?"_

Sesshoumaru blinked as the little girl came running into the room. She was smiling as always, and her eyes widened in happy surprise when she saw that he had returned.

>>>>>>

"How did I know we would end up at the sacred tree?" Kagome smiled. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm glad to be here. I'm glad to be anywhere. I know what I said...but the truth is, I was really scared about everything."

Inuyasha nodded slowly. "Anyone would have been scared, Kagome. I was scared for you. I didn't want to lose you. When I finally realized that Sesshoumaru still had our father's sword, it was like a huge weight off of my shoulders. He even told me he wasn't sure it would work...but it was something I had hope for. Something that would save everyone...that would save me, from the pain of losing you. I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't worked, Kagome. I would have really lost it. I would have. There were a few moments after Sesshoumaru used the sword that I was worried that I would never hear your voice again. When you finally...came back to us, I was so relieved..."

"I know, Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered. "I'm glad you cared enough to ask Sesshoumaru about it. I...wasn't ready to leave you guys. Not really. My mom, my brother, gramps...and Shippo isn't old enough to fend for himself...and then there's you..." Kagome rambled, her cheeks reddening slightly.

Inuyasha blinked. "What about me?"

"Well...isn't that why you wanted to talk to me? What are we really here for, Inuyasha?" Kagome wondered out loud.

Inuyasha took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk to you because you never let me finish my sentence, Kagome. You told me not to say it..."

"But Inuyasha, I..."

"No, Kagome. I don't say anything I don't mean, and I thought that you would know that about me by now...especially as long as we've known each other..." Inuyasha sighed.

Kagome nodded. "Well, I know what you mean, but I just...I wasn't sure...and I didn't think you were. I was dying, Inuyasha. I figured that you were just upset about everything that was happening..."

"I was, Kagome...we all were...but that's not why I said it...or tried to say it, anyway..." Inuyasha argued.

"Then why would you say it, Inuyasha? Why would you even try to start that conversation? You knew I was dying...neither of us thought I would be around much longer. I thought for certain that you and Kikyou would..."

"Kikyou? Kagome...this isn't about her. It's about you, and how I feel about you. Not her." he assured her.

Kagome shook her head. "Inuyasha...I'm nothing but her reincarnation. I've sat and watched you run after her countless times...I don't even have my own soul...she has half of it..."

"But you are different, Kagome." Inuyasha sighed. "Trust me. There was a time I thought that I was in love with Kikyou...but she isn't you. I care about Kikyou. I want her to be able to rest in peace...I care about her...but I love you..."

Kagome blinked. "What did you just...?"

"You heard me, Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered.

"And do you really...do you really mean it, Inuyasha?" she choked.

>>>>>>

"They have been gone quite a while..." Miroku mused.

"Shut up, Miroku..." Sango warned.

Miroku blinked several times. "Hmm? I didn't even say anything yet! How can you say such a hurtful thing to me prematurely?" he whined.

"Because unfortunately for both of us, I know exactly how your mind works, so I figure I will shut you up ahead of time..." Sango smirked.

"Ah...I see." Miroku nodded in understanding. After a short pause, he sighed. "But really...they have been gone a while..."

"Miroku..." Sango growled.

"I know..."

"Miroku!" It was Shippo. He jumped into the monk's arms. "Where are mommy and Inuyasha? Granny Kaede says that she thinks that something happened while we were gone, but I don't know what, and she won't tell me. I was going to ask mommy, but I can't find her, and I think she went with Inuyasha..."

"No, everything is fine, Shippo." Sango smiled. "But you're right, Inuyasha and Kagome have gone out. They'll be back in a little bit, all right?"

Shippo nodded and ran off to play with Kirara and Kagome's younger brother.

"You're still not going to tell him what happened?" Miroku whispered.

She shook her head. "No. Kagome is alive. He doesn't need to know what happened while he was gone. Kagome was right about that. We don't want to upset him for no reason. She's fine now..."

"So the rumors were true, then?" said a voice from the edge of the forest.

Sango jumped in surprise. "Kouga," she gasped, "you scared me!"

He frowned. "Sorry...I came to find out if the rumors were true...and I guess they were..."

Sango nodded. "Yeah...but don't say anything about it. We don't want to cause anyone any unneeded worry...especially since Kagome is fine now."

Kouga nodded. "Well, the rumor wasn't the only reason I came, actually. You may not have to worry about Kagome anymore, but trust me, there is definitely someone else you need to be worrying about right now..."

Miroku blinked. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?" he wondered out loud.

>>>>>>

**A/N: **Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Here's part six! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I'm glad so many people seem to enjoy this story so much!

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Six_

Kouga sighed deeply. "Where are Kagome and Inuyasha?" He asked. "Trust me...I am pretty sure that they are going to want to hear about this..."

"What is it, exactly? You still haven't answered that question..." frowned Miroku.

"I don't plan on explaining myself twice, monk. Where is dog-face and Kagome?" Kouga repeated.

"We're right here," frowned Inuyasha, coming out of the forest with Kagome following closely behind. "What do you want, Kouga?"

Kouga took a deep breath. "I needed to tell you guys something."

Inuyasha blinked and nodded. "What?"

"We...as in all of us...have problems. I came to give you my jewel shards. Kikyou will be along a little later with Kohaku so that you can remove his. It has to be done quickly, so that the jewel can be purified before he realizes what is going on...so that he can't get it..."

"Who are you talking about, Kouga? What exactly do you mean?" Kagome wondered out loud.

Kouga shook his head. "It isn't Naraku if that's what you are thinking," he began. "I thought about that at first, but I found out recently that Kikyou took out Naraku's baby just before Sesshoumaru and Kagome went after Naraku himself...which, by the way, I still think was a crazy idea, Kagome..." he added.

Kagome frowned. "Don't change the subject, Kouga. You came here to warn us about something, so if you're going to, you need to tell us what is going on. If not, let us be so that we can figure it out on our own..."

Kouga blinked as though he had been slapped, and again shook his head. "I'm getting there..." he assured them. He cleared his throat loudly and continued. "Our new problem goes by the name of Akumaru. I'm not entirely sure if he's after the jewel shards or not...but what I do know about him has compelled me to bring mine to you. He is intelligent..." Kouga coughed, "and he feeds off of positive spiritual energy..."

Kagome cocked her head sideways. "What? How do you mean...?"

Kouga looked toward the ground. "I mean that he gets his kicks off of absorbing the life energy of spiritual beings...priests...monks," he looked to Miroku, and then to Kagome, "and priestesses..." He sighed. "Once he realizes how powerful you and your friend Miroku are, he will certainly be coming after you..."

"And Kikyou? He hasn't gotten to her, has he?" whispered Kagome.

Inuyasha glanced at her in curiosity. "Kagome..." he began.

Kouga shook his head. "He feeds off of _life energy_..." he repeated. "Kikyou has had no problems with him because technically, she does not walk among the living..."

"That makes sense..." Kagome nodded. "What are we supposed to do about all this?"

Kouga was quiet a moment. Finally, he held out his hand, dropping his jewel shards into Kagome's hand and looking away quickly. "Take these and fuse them with the rest of the jewel. When Kikyou stops by with Kohaku, fuse that shard with the rest of the jewel as well...and then get rid of it as quickly as possible..." Kouga frowned. "And Kagome, I would suggest that you and your friend here be very careful. I don't want to here any more bad news with your name connected to it...all right?"

Kagome nodded slowly. "All right, Kouga. We understand." She swallowed. "And...thank you," she added as he turned to leave.

Kagome's mother approached as soon as Kouga left. "What was that all about?" she wondered.

"Our new set of problems..." Inuyasha smirked. "Where did the old woman go?"

Kagome's mother stood thinking for a moment. "She just returned to her hut. She was looking for a weed of some type earlier...but I think she found it. Why?"

Inuyasha sighed deeply, and began to walk toward Kaede's hut. "I'll let her know what's going on." he called out. "Then I think it would be a really good idea if we didn't all stay here like a bunch of sitting ducks..."

"What are you...?" Kagome's mother began.

"It's a long story, mom." Kagome sighed.

She blinked. "We should return to the future, shouldn't we?"

"Not if you don't want to..." Kagome frowned. "This guy won't be after you guys, so you should be safe here as long as you stay inside the boundaries of the village...and I...I plan on staying here, anyway..."

Kagome's mother nodded. "I understand." She laughed. "I doubt your grandfather would consent to our leaving right now, anyway. I believe he has grown rather attached to the old woman," she blushed.

Kagome smiled. "That's good for him," she nodded.

Inuyasha emerged from Kaede's hut, and took a deep breath. "All right...We should probably try to be out of here tomorrow morning. I don't want to draw any attention to the old hag. Her power has quite a kick to it...and no one who lives outside of this village needs to know that..."

Kagome nodded slowly. "Come on, Inuyasha," she whispered, taking his hand in hers. "It will be all right. Kouga has already warned us. Let's make some food and wait for Kikyou to show up. There is no need to worry about something we can not help tonight..."

"Kagome!" Her mother called. "Aren't you going to tell me what is really going on?"

>>>>>>

"So, his name is Akumaru? I wonder what kind of hole he crawled out of?" Sesshoumaru thought out loud. "I've never heard of a demon like him before..."

"Lord Sesshoumaru..." whined Jacken.

Sesshoumaru blinked. "What is it, Jacken? You have interrupted me yet again..."

"It is Rin, Lord Sesshoumaru..."

Sesshoumaru stood in sudden alarm. His eyes grew wide. "What about Rin, Jacken? What has happened? Where is she? Is she all right?" he demanded.

The toad Jacken gulped, and looked away for a moment. "I do not know, master..." he whispered with a squeak. "She is glowing..."

Sesshoumaru allowed his face to show a small bit of confusion. "Glowing? What on earth do you mean by that? Have you done something?"

Jacken shook his head vigorously. "No, Lord Sesshoumaru! I do not know what is wrong...Rin is glowing blue..."

"Blue...?" Sesshoumaru whispered.

"Yes, master...blue..." Jacken repeated.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "Bring her to me, Jacken. Tell her we are going on a trip. I am going to take her to see the old woman at the village where Inuyasha and his pack are staying..." he decided.

>>>>>>

"Kikyou is here..." Miroku pointed.

"There is no need for an announcement, monk," Kikyou shook her head.

"Kohaku..." Sango smiled. "I am glad to see that you are doing all right..." she wrapped him in a hug.

Kikyou nodded. "Here is the jewel shard that was once in his back...with Naraku dead, I thought it would be safe to remove it, and I did as soon as I knew that his wounds would be all right. He has had a great deal of time for his wounds to heal...and I do not expect that they will hold him back any longer. There are scars, but other than that, he is all right..." Kikyou reported. "He did well in battle..." she added, almost proudly.

Sango nodded. "Thank you, Kikyou. I trust you have already heard of Akumaru?" she asked.

Kikyou nodded. "Of course I have...but that demon has no effect on me. My sister and my reincarnation may find him to be a bit difficult, however..." she added under her breath.

Sango nodded again. "We've heard..." she frowned. "We will be leaving the village in the morning so as not to draw attention to Kaede..." she told her.

Kikyou smiled. "That is nice of you. My little sister is getting rather old.."

"I'm not that old, Kikyou..." Kaede laughed as she came out of her hut.

"Yes, but the demon will certainly come after you if he realizes who you are...or what you are, I should say..."

"Speaking of that..." The group turned to see that Sesshoumaru, Jacken, and the little girl Rin had suddenly joined their midst.

Inuyasha blinked. "Sesshoumaru? What's wrong?"

"Rin. She was...glowing...blue. I saw it for myself. I decided it would be wise to come here and ask the old priestess her opinion about it..."

Kaede stared at the young girl. "Blue, you said?" she asked.

He nodded. "I thought it peculiar..."

"It is a good thing." she smiled. "Well...if you do not take into account that Akumaru demon that is lurking about..."

"What do you mean?" Sesshoumaru frowned, his head cocked to the side.

Kagome smiled. "It _is_ a good thing, Sesshoumaru. I think Kaede is trying to say that Rin has a spiritual gift. Maybe she is some type of priestess...?" Kagome suggested.

Kaede nodded. "She very well may be..."

"But..." Sesshoumaru began.

"She will be all right, Sesshoumaru," Kaede assured him.

"I must find this demon Akumaru..." Sesshoumaru whispered, more to himself than to anyone else around him.

Kagome sighed. "Sesshoumaru, if you insist on looking for Akumaru, might I suggest that we take Rin with us?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "But you can't possibly..." he stammered.

Kagome held up her hand. He stopped talking. "She will be fine, Sesshoumaru. I understand that this demon is after me, but he's also after Miroku, and Kaede...I have been well trained by Kaede, and none of us are going to let any harm come to Rin. I don't think it's a good idea to leave her with you when you have never dealt with this type of power. _I_ could _help_ her...and _we_ could _protect_ her while you searched for Akumaru..." she gestured to Inuyasha and the others that were standing around her.

Sesshoumaru looked down, where the young girl Rin was clinging to his pants leg. He sighed deeply. "Rin...you are going to go with Lady Kagome for a while, all right?" he told her.

Rin looked up at him, and after a moment, she nodded with enthusiasm. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. Rin will go. You will come back for Rin, right?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "It is just for a little while...until you learn how to control your..." he searched for the words, "your...gifts. Lady Kagome is going to teach you. You need to listen to what she and Inuyasha say..."

"Rin will behave." The little girl smiled.

"Then I will be leaving now," Sesshoumaru nodded to the rest of the group.

"As will I..." Kikyou added, waving and following Sesshoumaru into the woods.

>>>>>>

"Kagome...this really worries me..." Inuyasha whispered into her ear. "I don't like the idea of this guy sucking the life force out of you, or Miroku, or Rin...or the old woman...or anyone...but especially you...I don't want to lose you again. This time, if anything happens, Sesshoumaru isn't going to be nearby to help out..."

Kagome smiled nervously. "Inuyasha...try not to worry about things like that. I don't plan on leaving you anytime soon...and I doubt Miroku or Kaede or anyone else plans on it, either."

"That's the point, Kagome. You don't have to _plan_ it for it to happen..."

"Be _positive_, Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, snuggling herself into his chest. "I'm not scared of anything. I'm not even that worried about this Akumaru guy. I don't need to worry, because I have you to protect me...and you've not failed me once..." she smiled.

Inuyasha nodded slightly. "I know..." He grinned slightly and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "I can't help but be protective of you..." he told her.

"Mommy!" Shippo called, running into the hut. "Oh, I'm sorry..." be blushed, and turned to walk from the hut.

Miroku entered shortly after he left, a smile on his face. "Well, I guess that answers my question about what you and Kagome were up to out in the forest earlier, huh?"

"Damn you, monk! We didn't do anything! Keep your mouth shut and get those thoughts out of your head right now!" Inuyasha growled.

Miroku shook his head. "No one said you did anything, Inuyasha...I'm just proud of you because you finally admitted your feelings to Kagome..."

"Kagome...now there's a name I've heard several times today..." came a voice from the hut entrance. The three of them looked up.

Kagome nearly screamed. Standing in front of them was a demon with long black hair. He could have passed for human if not for the purple and blue markings on his face and forehead. He carried on his back a moderately-sized sword, and hanging from the belt around his waist was a small tie bag of some sort.

He smiled at the two of them. "Wasn't too much trouble finding you here..." he smirked. "No one even noticed...except the little fox demon...he _noticed_...he just didn't pose a problem to me..."

Kagome gasped. "Shippo! No...you didn't..."

Miroku took a step forward, his staff raised. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he demanded.

"If you've hurt Shippo..." Kagome frowned.

"He got in my way..."

"Damn you!" growled Inuyasha. "What do you want? You smell like a rat to me!"

"Kagome!" It was Sango. The unnamed demon stood between her and Kagome, Inuyasha, and Miroku. "Are you all right? I think he's Akumaru..." she began, drawing her katana.

Kagome shook her head. "I can already guess that," she answered, ignoring the demon standing between them. "Find Shippo...I think he's hurt...and then get my family and Kaede and Rin out of here as fast as you can, all right?" Kagome told her.

"But..." Sango stammered.

"Go, Sango!" Inuyasha commanded.

"All right..." she whispered reluctantly.

The demon seemed not to care that Sango was retreating. His eyes were fixated on Kagome and Miroku, and he still had that same smile on his face as he did when he first arrived.

Inuyasha growled and pushed Kagome behind him protectively.

"Get out of my way, you useless half demon," Akumaru snarled in anger. "I'm not interested in you. I want the girl...and maybe the monk when I'm done..." he smirked. "If you stand in my way, I will have to kill you..."

"Well then, you will have to kill me, because I'm not moving..." Inuyasha replied, pulling the tesseiga from its sheath.

>>>>>>

**A/N:** Yeah, I know...sorry about the cliff hanger...but I couldn't help myself. Please review and let me know what you think, and the next installment will be up soon! The rest of the song which was used in the first several chapters will appear in highlighting the events of the next couple chapters...


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Sorry about the time between updates...I was just handed another lovely project for another one of my classes, and had to get that done before I could keep writing...didn't take long...but I'm a frequent updater, so sometimes it bugs me. LoL. Anyway, hope you like chapter seven!

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Seven_

The demon called Akumaru laughed in amusement. "Inuyasha...you are still standing in my way...and now, you even have your sword drawn?" He chuckled. "I take that to mean that I am indeed going to have to kill you..." he nodded. "You should have stayed out of this and saved yourself the pain..."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered. "Don't do it...there's something wrong. He's not worried at all...He might hurt you..."

"I don't care about that, Kagome. If he wasn't standing right in front of the doorway, I would have already suggested that you run...but it looks like the three of us will have to take the hard way out of this situation..." Inuyasha frowned.

Miroku took a deep breath. "Inuyasha...should I...?" he asked. He was holding loosely onto the prayer beads that bound his cursed hand.

Inuyasha shook his head. "This is too small a space, Miroku. I don't want innocent people to get hurt because of this..."

"Well _I_ don't want _you_ to get hurt!" Kagome retorted.

"He hasn't done anything yet, Kagome. He's just trying to intimidate..." Akumaru's sword came forward, and Inuyasha gasped in surprise as he lodged it into his stomach.

Kagome screamed. "Inuyasha!"

"I told you not to get in my way, half demon." he smirked.

Inuyasha thrust his sword into the ground for balance.

"Kagome...if you come with me willingly, I will not kill Inuyasha. As it stands, he can not even stand on his own. I doubt he could fend me off for long, even if you wanted to stay..." Akumaru smiled.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, and then glanced in Miroku's direction. Miroku's jaw fell to the floor in realization.

Kagome gulped. "You promise you won't hurt him...or any of my friends? You will leave them alone, and you won't come after them anymore...?"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed. "No! What the hell are you thinking?"

Kagome seemed not to hear him. "Answer me..." she nearly commanded.

The demon nodded. "I've come for you, Kagome. I have no need to kill any of your friends..."

"You can't trust him!" Inuyasha groaned.

"If it means he wouldn't hurt you..." Kagome began.

"No, it just means he would kill you!" Inuyasha yelped. "I just got you back, Kagome! I don't want to lose you again! What would have been the point? You can't just give up and let this guy have what he wants!"

Kagome looked down at the floor. Inuyasha's blood was collecting in a rather large pool at his feet. He still had his sword plunged into the ground to keep himself in a standing position. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt...if it's me he is after...I can't let it happen..."

She took several steps forward.

"Lady Kagome..." Miroku pulled at the prayer beads holding back his cursed hand. He was now standing in front of Inuyasha, between him and Kagome. "I'm going to do it..." he whispered.

"Miroku...no...there are still people in the village that could be hurt..." Inuyasha groaned.

Miroku groaned in anger. "Lady Kagome!" he yelled. "I insist that you..."

"Miroku...take Inuyasha and get out of here..." Kagome commanded.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Oh, no, wench! The monk isn't taking me anywhere!" he growled. "And you aren't going anywhere either..."

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, and gasped. She felt a sudden surge of power, and it certainly wasn't coming from her foe. She turned slowly to see that Inuyasha's grip had, if possible, tightened around his sword. He jerked the weapon out of the ground with a low growl, and motioned for Kagome to get behind him. Miroku gulped and followed suit.

>>>>>>

Sesshoumaru stopped dead in his tracks. "That demon is in the old woman's village!" he realized. "Damn! I left Rin there!" He paused a moment when he turned, another realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"Lord Sesshoumaru...?" The toad Jacken squeaked. "Are you all right?"

"Jacken...can you sense that...?" Sesshoumaru asked rather than answer his question.

Jacken screwed up his face in concentration. He blinked. "What is that, master?" he frowned.

"I think...I think that is Inuyasha..." he whispered, more to himself than to his servant. "Come, Jacken," he said louder, "we need to return to the village immediately."

"But..." Jacken whined.

"Now!" Sesshoumaru ordered loudly, although the look on his face did not change.

>>>>>>

Inuyasha growled.

Akumaru laughed with amusement. "Now what is this little surprise?" he smirked. "The half demon had a little bit of power on reserve, did he?"

Miroku shook his head with worry. "Kagome, he still has his sword..." he pointed. "I don't understand...how come he is still changing?" he whispered. "Do you think we should...?"

Kagome frowned. "No, Miroku. I don't think he has completely changed...his sword has to be away from him for that to happen...but I do think he's tapped into some of his power. I wouldn't worry. He's never hurt any of us before. He's trying to protect us..."

"You are bleeding all over the place, half demon. Do you honestly think that extra little bit of power will somehow save you and your friends?" Akumaru mused. "I will get what I came here for. I always get what I want, Inuyasha. Always."

"Not this time, you won't..." Inuyasha swore under his breath.

Kagome frowned. "Be careful, Inuyasha...please...you're still injured..." she whispered softly.

**So much pain and so much darkness  
In this world we stumble through  
All these questions I can't answer  
So much work to do **

"I don't plan on losing, Kagome. I made you a promise a while back, remember? I don't break my promises." Inuyasha whispered to her.

Kagome nodded slowly.

"Lady Kagome, what does he...?" Miroku wondered out loud.

Kagome smiled slightly. "He told me he would always protect me," she told him, "and he hasn't failed me yet," she added proudly.

>>>>>>

Sesshoumaru gasped uncharacteristically when he finally reached the old woman's village. The demon he had been looking for had his half brother, his half brother's woman Kagome, and the perverse monk all trapped in Kagome's hut. The demon's scent got stronger and stronger, but so did this odd feeling of power coming from Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru stopped completely. "Rin is no longer here," he said out loud. "She was taken away with the rest of Inuyasha's pack..." he observed. "They must have already been confronted by the demon before they could get out..."

"Lord Sesshoumaru...are you planning on helping your half blood brother and his human friends?" Jacken frowned.

Sesshoumaru looked down. "Jacken..." he said in a low, warning tone of voice. "Do not question my motives. Ever..."

"I understand, Lord Sesshoumaru..." Jacken nodded hard. "Are we here to help the demon, then?"

Sesshoumaru knocked Jacken unceremoniously on the top of his head and growled. "Do not open your mouth again if it will only be to make another one of those idiot statements, Jacken!" he growled in anger.

>>>>>>

Akumaru stopped dead, and turned his head sideways to listen. "Apparently, some of your reinforcements have arrived..." he smirked. He took a deep breath. "Although...hmm...there is something rather familiar about that scent...I can't put my finger on it...it was so long ago..."

Inuyasha blinked, and took a deep breath. He blinked. His half brother Sesshoumaru and Sesshoumaru's servant Jacken were in the village now. Could the scent Akumaru picked up on have been Sesshoumaru's? And if so, what was so familiar about it? Did this demon know Sesshoumaru?

Inuyasha growled, bringing his sword down and finally sending Akumaru flying through the wall of the hut.

Sesshoumaru stood just outside. He looked with mild interest down on the demon that Inuyasha had just knocked down.

Akumaru jumped up in surprise. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" he gasped. "I thought it might have been Lord Inutaisho..." he whispered. "The two of you must be closely related..."

"And Kouga called this guy 'really intelligent', didn't he?" Inuyasha smirked.

"Lord Inutaisho was my father. I am the ruler of the western lands now, Akumaru..." Sesshoumaru growled. "And that," Sesshoumaru pointed to Inuyasha and Kagome, "happens to be my brother and his intended that you have been trying to hurt..."

At this, Akumaru looked somewhat alarmed, but kept his composure.

Jacken tugged on Sesshoumaru's robes.

He looked down. "What, Jacken?" he frowned.

Jacken cleared his throat. "I remember this demon, Lord Sesshoumaru," he said, boldly looking into the not-so-amused eyes of Akumaru. "According to your father's decree, he was banned from hunting his victims on your father's land..."

Sesshoumaru blinked and nodded as though he had just remembered something of great importance . "Thank you for reminding me, Jacken..." he replied simply, and glared at the demon in front of him.

Inuyasha's eyebrow rose in interest, and he let his sword fall to his side. Within minutes, he was back to his normal self as he watched the spectacle in front of him.

Akumaru frowned. "Your father, the mighty Inutaisho, is dead. I can do as I please..." he smirked.

"Apparently, Akumaru, no one warned you about me," Sesshoumaru snarled. "Inuyasha...take Kagome and your monk and leave immediately." he ordered.

"Who the hell are you to tell me what to..." Inuyasha began to growl.

Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha...come on." she insisted. "Sesshoumaru can handle this on his own. You two really should get along a little better..." she frowned.

After a moment, Inuyasha nodded, and with one final suspicious and hateful glance at Akumaru, he allowed Kagome and Miroku to climb onto his back, and began to follow the scent of Kirara and the others.

>>>>>>

"That was...a rather odd encounter..." Miroku mused.

Inuyasha scoffed. "Sesshoumaru's really touchy about dad...and well, about everything...but mostly about dad..."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Miroku laughed.

Inuyasha growled. "Shut up, Miroku."

"Speaking of which, Inuyasha, _someone_ I know is bleeding all over the place and should really stop and rest for a minute." she whispered in his ear. "Shippo knows our scent. He can tell the others."

After some time, Kagome finally convinced Inuyasha of the benefits of stopping for rest. The sun was low in the sky, and perhaps Inuyasha's only real motivation for stopping was that darkness would soon be upon them. He rested himself up against a tree as he usually did, and watched Kagome and Miroku in their activities around the small fire they had built.

Kagome had something on her mind since Sesshoumaru had showed up to help them with Akumaru. Something he had said to the demon had really gotten her thinking. She didn't understand what it meant...and on top of that, Sesshoumaru's behavior toward her and toward Inuyasha lately had been strangely opposite of the usual...

His words ran through her head over and over as she tried to grasp the hidden meaning behind them.

_"Lord Inutaisho was my father. I am the ruler of the western lands now, Akumaru..." Sesshoumaru growled. "And that," Sesshoumaru pointed to Inuyasha and Kagome, "happens to be my brother and his intended that you have been trying to hurt..."_

_At this, Akumaru looked somewhat alarmed, but kept his composure. _

_Jacken tugged on Sesshoumaru's robes. _

_He looked down. "What, Jacken?" he frowned. _

_Jacken cleared his throat. "I remember this demon, Lord Sesshoumaru," he said, boldly looking into the amused eyes of Akumaru. "According to your father's decree, he was banned from hunting his victims on your father's land..." _

_Sesshoumaru blinked and nodded as though he had just remembered something of . "Thank you for reminding me, Jacken..." he replied simply, and glared at the demon in front of him. _

_Inuyasha's eyebrow rose in interest, and he let his sword fall to his side. Within minutes, he was back to his normal self as he watched the spectacle in front of him. _

_Akumaru frowned. "Your father, the mighty Inutaisho, is dead. I can do as I please..." he smirked. _

_"Apparently, Akumaru, no one warned you about me," Sesshoumaru snarled. "Inuyasha...take Kagome and your monk and leave immediately." he ordered. _

Kagome blinked, and turned to see Inuyasha looking at her with interest from his place sitting under the tree. She sighed and walked over to him. Maybe he would know the meaning behind his brother's odd behavior, and behind the even more strange conversation he had been having with Akumaru earlier that day...

Inuyasha scooted over when he realized that Kagome was coming to join him under the tree. "Are you going to be warm enough if you stay over here?" he asked her.

"I'm not cold." She nodded. "I'll be fine...I was actually going to ask you something..." her voice trailed off.

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What is it, Kagome?" he asked her.

She took a deep breath. "Don't you think that...well, that Sesshoumaru has been acting a little _weird_ around me and you lately? I mean...it's a nice change, but I guess it just seems a little odd to me..." She paused. "And earlier today...he said something that I think actually scared Akumaru. He said '_that happens to be my brother and his intended that you have been trying to hurt_'...What exactly do you think he meant by _that_, Inuyasha?" Kagome wondered out loud.

Inuyasha gulped and turned an odd shade of scarlet. As soon as Kagome said it, he knew that she had been thinking about the same thing that he had. He took a deep breath. "I..don't know, Kagome..." he looked away. "I mean...I think I know what he meant...I'm pretty sure...but I'm not too sure that you are going to think that it's very funny..." he stammered nervously.

Kagome laughed slightly. "Well Inuyasha, that will all depend on what it is, won't it?" she smiled. "Can't you just tell me? I've been wondering about it all day..." she gave him her best puppy dog eyes.

He sighed deeply. "I'll tell you...but first...where's that damn monk? I don't want him to get any cockeyed ideas..." he finally caved.

>>>>>>

**A/N: **I wonder what Inuyasha will say? Tune in next time to find out :D And be sure to review and let me know what you think so far!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Sorry for the long time between updates! Here is chapter eight of this story! Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks for the support! This one is slightly shorter than the other chapters before it, but I have a story that I have to write literally in Japanese for a class tomorrow, so I've been a bit preoccupied...

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Eight_

"All right, Kagome...true, Sesshoumaru's behavior has been a little weird lately...well, a lot weird lately...but I think he has his reasons." Inuyasha began.

Kagome nodded. "I already know that much, Inuyasha. I want to know what he meant..."

Inuyasha took a deep breath. "Kagome...in demon society, things are sometimes a bit more complicated than they are for normal people. Everything is, really. We live longer...much longer, and we're stronger than any normal human would be...we also have laws and..._practices_ that would be considered really weird to humans..."

"Well...that seems nice, Inuyasha...but it still doesn't really tell me why Akumaru was scared of what Sesshoumaru said. I don't get it." Kagome sighed.

"Okay, okay..." Inuyasha sighed in a whiny voice. "Well...demons...we don't get married like humans would...and our courtship rituals are different. I mean, it depends on the type of demon...it's not necessarily the same for all of us...but that's what Sesshoumaru was talking about, basically..." he stammered.

Kagome blinked. "Your courtship rituals?" she repeated. "But he said..."

Inuyasha cut Kagome off. "I heard what he said, Kagome. I mean...I'm sorry...it's just a little bit embarrassing to talk about with you, you know?"

"Why?" Kagome prodded.

Inuyasha blushed. "Kagome, for crying out..." Inuyasha took a deep breath. "Ahem...what he said...Sesshoumaru, I mean, is that I...I mean you..." he stuttered. "I intend...I mean I want you to...I am hoping that one day you and I could be...well, mates..." he whispered. "Sesshoumaru can tell...but that is really hard to explain unless you were a demon..."

Kagome blinked. "Mate?" she repeated.

Inuyasha blushed an even darker shade of pink. "It's like the demon form of marriage, Kagome...only with a couple more strings attached. Several, actually. I would mark you, meaning I would have to bite you...then my family's mark...the crescent moon on Sesshoumaru's forehead, would appear where I bit you...and other male demons would know you were taken. But the mark would go away if we didn't..."

Kagome held her hand up, blushing. "I think I understand, Inuyasha..." she smiled. "But...are you serious?" she asked.

Inuyasha nodded. "I've already told you I love you, Kagome. I would never lie about something like that." he answered.

Kagome took a deep breath of her own and nodded. "I don't know what to say..." she whispered.

"We don't have to..." Inuyasha frowned.

"No, Inuyasha. That's not what I meant. I'm just surprised is all. I've never seen you so nervous before...but I'm happy you told me. I...I would love to be your mate one day, Inuyasha."

His eyes brightened. "Are you serious?"

"You were, weren't you?" Kagome smiled, and he nodded.

He wrapped her in a hug.

"Am I...interrupting something?" Miroku coughed, and Inuyasha and Kagome jumped away from one another.

Inuyasha looked at the ground. "Yes..." he groaned.

"Sorry!" Miroku winked. "Just go back to whatever it is you were talking about, all right? Tomorrow morning we can find Sango and the others and let them know about everything that happened." He smiled widely.

Inuyasha frowned. "All right, Miroku. How much of that did you hear?" he demanded in an unamused tone of voice.

"Only _all_ of it." he grinned. "The others are going to love to hear this news...trust me."

"Miroku, I will kill you!" Inuyasha threatened.

Miroku ran. "I don't think so, Inuyasha!"

>>>>>>

"Do you think that they are all right?" Kagome's mother worried. None of them had seen Kagome, Inuyasha, or Miroku since the previous morning. Of course...they hadn't exactly stopped too long to wait, either. "You don't think that demon...?" she worried.

Sango shook her head. "Oh, no. Nothing like that. I'm sure they're fine. They're probably just trying to catch up to us right now...which is why we've stopped for a while."

"They started coming toward our scent yesterday afternoon," Shippo announced.

Sango looked up. "Really? Why didn't you tell us something like that?" she asked him.

Shippo shrugged. "I didn't think you were worried about it. I wasn't, and no one asked...so I just didn't say anything." He paused a moment. "They aren't too far behind us now, anyway. There's nothing to worry about."

"Shippo!" Sango whined.

Kohaku laughed. "Well, it's true..." he whispered.

"Can you tell how far away they are now, Shippo?" Sango asked, ignoring her little brother's comment.

Shippo screwed up his nose and concentrated. He frowned. "No...my nose isn't that good..." he sighed. "But since they started moving last night, I don't exactly think it will take them forever to get here. It seems like they are closer than before...I just can't tell how much closer..."

Kagome's grandfather nodded. "And we are all safe sitting here like this?" he questioned.

Kaede nodded. "Of course...If Kagome, Inuyasha, and Miroku are on the move, that means that the demon has certainly been defeated." She smiled proudly.

"How do you know?" asked Kagome's grandfather.

"...because they would never run from a fight...and they wouldn't come for us unless they knew we would not be in danger..." Shippo said in a matter-of-fact manner.

Kagome's mother blinked. "You seem to know them pretty well, little one." she smiled at him.

He nodded. "I consider them my family...it's nothing official yet...but maybe one day..."

"Official?" Kagome's mother blinked again.

Sango smiled widely. "Really, Shippo? You...really want that?"

"I'm confused." Kagome's grandfather frowned.

Kohaku laughed. "It's demon ritual. Kind of confusing unless you've been around it a lot. Me and Sango...we had to learn all about that kind of stuff because of what we were trained to do. Our...our father was the one who taught us about it all..."

"What's wrong?" asked Souta.

Kohaku sighed deeply. "He's gone. I...they're all gone..."

"Kohaku..." Sango whispered. "It's all right. Don't think about that. It wasn't your fault..." she wrapped her younger brother in a hug.

Shippo coughed and smiled. "They should be here any moment." he announced.

Sango and Kohaku looked up. Kohaku smiled. "That's good," he grinned, looking away for a moment. "...I feel...better now..." he whispered, more to himself than to anyone.

>>>>>>

"Hi everyone!" Kagome called. "I'm glad to see that you are all safe!"

Sango hugged her best friend. "Of course! Kirara got us out of there quickly, just like you said. We've been fine. Just waiting for you is all..." She paused. "Shippo told us you were on our trail, so we stopped to relax for a while..."

"He did, did he?" Inuyasha asked, looking at the small fox demon with growing interest.

Shippo nodded. "Yeah!"

"So...what happened with Akumaru?" asked Kaede after a short silence.

Inuyasha frowned. "I don't know. I'm not really sure. Sesshoumaru showed up...I think he scared Akumaru a little bit...but he wanted us to leave...I would have stayed, but Kagome..."

"Inuyasha...he was just trying to protect you. If we would have stayed, we could have gotten in his way." Kagome whispered, taking his hand.

Kagome's mother noticed this and smiled at her daughter. Inuyasha noticed first. When Kagome realized that her mother was staring, she blushed a dark pink and slowly pulled her hand away.

Miroku cleared his throat. "I think that Kagome and Inuyasha may have some interesting news for us..."

"Damn you, monk! I thought I warned you!" Inuyasha growled.

"You did...but I never said that I was going to listen, did I?" Miroku smirked.

"Have you forgotten my threat? Because it wasn't a threat..." Inuyasha snarled.

Kagome's mother covered her mouth in an attempt to keep herself from laughing.

"What is it?" Souta asked.

Kagome blushed furiously.

Inuyasha looked down at the ground. "Miroku...I know where you sleep..." he whispered in a final attempt to scare the monk into doing as he asked.

Miroku took a deep breath. "I overheard a very interesting conversation between Kagome and Inuyasha this morning," he began.

"You weren't supposed to hear _any_ of the conversation..." frowned Inuyasha.

"This sounds like it could be very interesting..." smiled Sango. "Go on, Miroku. I think I want to hear this."

Miroku cleared his throat. "Inuyasha has asked Kagome if she will one day become his mate. I heard him myself. With my own two ears..."

Kagome's mother did not even bother to let Miroku finish his sentence. She screamed, wrapping Inuyasha and Kagome in a hug simultaneously. Kagome coughed. "I'm so proud of you two for finally...I don't know! I'm just...so happy!"

Kagome's grandfather's eyebrow rose slightly. "Hmm..." he whispered.

Kagome nodded. "Now that everyone knows our business..." she smiled.

"Even if everyone _does _know your business, now is not the time to relax."

Kagome gasped and turned around. It was Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha blinked. "Sesshoumaru? What about Akumaru...?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "There is no need to worry about _him_ anymore. However..." He put his nose to the air and took a deep breath, "although you have not marked her yet, Inuyasha, you must be very careful. Demons of all sorts will be able to tell that she is your intended. _Usually_, this would keep _most_ males away, but you are my only remaining family, which also means that you will officially be able to take over your half of father's land once you've taken Kagome as a mate...and there are many demons who do not want to see that happen. They will do almost everything in their power to make sure it doesn't." Sesshoumaru paused as if he was waiting for his news to sink in. "I just came to warn you about it. Do not let her out of your sight until you have completed the mating ritual...after that, they can do nothing...until then, you need to watch your step."

Inuyasha nodded in understanding, and Sesshoumaru turned to leave. "Where are you going, Sesshoumaru? What about Rin?"

"She needs the proper training...and I am going on a journey to the south to find out all that I can about this problem. Please watch after her while I am gone, and I will return with news as soon as I can."

Kagome nodded slowly. "We'll do it." She promised. "And...Sesshoumaru? Thank you." she whispered.

Sesshoumaru waved his hand nonchalantly and continued on without a word.

Kagome sighed. "We can never get a break, can we?" She frowned. "Someone or something is always right on our heels..."

Shippo hopped into Inuyasha's arms. "It will be all right, mommy! Inuyasha will protect you, and we'll be all right, just like we always are!"

Inuyasha smiled. "We'll head back to the village and wait for Sesshoumaru. We should be safe there."

Kagome nodded slowly. She sighed. "Inuyasha...do you think that all that Sesshoumaru said is really true?"

"I don't know, Kagome..." Inuyasha replied. "I guess we are going to have to wait and find out..."

>>>>>>

**A/N:** I know, not much of a cliffie, but the next chapter will be up soon! Please review and let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Here's the next chapter, in which the plot will further unravel. Those of you who know my other fanfictions know that I am notorious for adding several twists and turns into the story (whether they are expected or not). Want to find out more? Chapter nine is longer than the last one! Please review and let me know what you think!

...I also realized I haven't put a disclaimer in here, so...I don't own Inuyasha or the characters. The storyline is the only thing that's mine. Inuyasha and Co. are copyright of Takahashi Rumiko...

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Nine_

"It's all right, Rin. Just try to hit it again next time. I was pretty bad at this when I first started learning, too. Just ask Inuyasha. He'll tell you," Kagome smiled, helping Rin to load another arrow into her bow.

The small girl smiled at her. "I know I can do it for Lord Sesshoumaru!" She nodded confidently. "I'm going to be ten soon, so I need to learn how to do this so I can protect Jacken when Lord Sesshoumaru is away. Maybe I could even _help_ him?" At the thought of this, the little girl's eyes grew wide with hope, and she aimed her bow with determination.

Kagome laughed slightly. "Did you hear that, Inuyasha?" she asked him.

"He's been gone for _three weeks_, Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered his reply. "Do you think I should go and...?"

Sango, who had been observing Kagome's teaching Rin and listening in on the conversation, shook her head violently. "Are you crazy? Did you not hear what Sesshoumaru said about not leaving Kagome alone? Sesshoumaru said it would take him a while. Let's just give him some time. We all know he can take care of himself."

Inuyasha nodded. "True..." Inuyasha sighed deeply. "I'm just...I don't know. Something doesn't feel right to me..."

Kagome frowned. "Nothing bad has happened yet, Inuyasha. Let's try and be thankful for that..."

"Let's try and not jinx it..." Kagome's mother smirked from behind her.

"Lady Kagome, look! I did it!" Rin jumped up and down. Kagome looked. A single arrow clung to the very outside edge of the target she had designed for the little girl to practice on.

Kagome laughed. "Good job, Rin! Did you see it, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha nodded. "That's better than Kagome did her first time, Rin." he commented.

"See? I told you!" Kagome nodded.

"Lord Sesshoumaru is going to be so proud of me!" Rin smiled.

>>>>>>

"Hello, cousin..." Sesshoumaru bowed. "You were expecting me, I presume?"

The dog demon standing in front of Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, I was. I have heard the rumors...both about your half brother and about your reason for being here." he sighed. "Take a seat, cousin. I believe that you and I have a lot to talk about..."

"It is not that complicated Ryo. The rules are simple. Your pack stays off of my father's land and far away from my brother and his intended, or I am going to make sure that you are in a world of pain. You know our laws..."

Ryo shook his head. "I am sorry, Sesshoumaru. It has been quite a while since you have visited me down here...and you obviously haven't heard the news. I don't exactly carry the torch around here. If the pack wants to rip Inuyasha into little pieces, I can not stop them..."

"Ryo...I do not find you funny at all..."

"And I am not joking, cousin..." Ryo shook his head. "I've already told you...I do not control them. Shin has..."

"Shin has done what?" frowned Sesshoumaru.

"He left this morning with two of his best men, Sesshoumaru. I was going to come warn you about it myself, but then you ended up showing up here anyway."

"There is three of them?" Sesshoumaru growled.

Ryo nooded. "You heard correctly. Three of them...and they left this morning."

Sesshoumaru sighed deeply. "What will they do if they get to Inuyasha and Kagome?" he asked after a short pause.

"I do not think that they plan on killing either of them, Sesshoumaru. Shin just wants to stop the union...and cripple Inuyasha...take away his joy..."

"Kagome..." Sesshoumaru whispered.

Ryo nodded. "Right again. Shin does not plan on killing Inuyasha...he just wants to make sure that he can never mark Kagome..."

"How?" demanded Sesshoumaru. "If he does not plan on killing them..."

"There are other more underhanded ways to accomplish his goal, Sesshoumaru..." Ryo explained.

Sesshoumaru thought about this for a moment. "He...he wouldn't!"

"If Shin marks Kagome, Inuyasha can't...no one else can..." Ryo sighed with a frown.

"But if she isn't willing...!" Sesshoumaru paled in anger and stood quickly.

Ryo nodded in understanding. "I know what could happen, Sesshoumaru. But I bet that Shin has a plan. Think about it. Kagome is just as connected to Inuyasha as he is to her..."

"Kagome will go willingly if Shin hurts Inuyasha..." Sesshoumaru gasped, his eyes widening and showing his complete shock for the first time since he could remember. "Damn it, Ryo you chicken! I don't care who holds the power around here anymore! I know you are not that weak! How could you just let them go, knowing what would transpire? How am I supposed to get back that quickly? They will undoubtedly be ahead of me..."

Ryo nodded again. "Sesshoumaru, if Kagome goes with Shin, he could kill her. If she allows him to bite her, you don't even..."

"I very well realize the consequences..." Sesshoumaru nodded. "And you are lucky that I don't rip you into tiny pieces. I must go now. Will you come with me?"

"Sesshoumaru, I..." Ryo began.

"Cousin, half-blood or not, Inuyasha is _still_ my brother...and you know what will happen if Shin gets to Kagome..."

Ryo sighed. "All right...but we must hurry..."

>>>>>>

"Kagome...what's wrong?" Inuyasha wondered out loud.

"I think you were right, Inuyasha. Something just plain doesn't feel right..." Kagome frowned. "Why do you suppose it is taking Sesshoumaru so long to get back?" she shivered. "You think he's all right?"

"We already talked about this, Kagome." Inuyasha frowned, wrapping her in a hug. "Everything is fine right now..." He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent, and smiled. "We're still here..."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome smiled, turning and leaning into him. "I would feel horrible if you got hurt. I don't know what I would do. I really hope that when Sesshoumaru returns, he at least brings with him some good news..."

"He will..." Inuyasha leaned down and placed a small kiss on Kagome's lips and smiled.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered. "What if we...what do you have to do to..." she stammered. "To...make _it_ official?"

Inuyasha blinked. "I thought you wanted to wait for us to defeat..." he began.

"_Maybe_...but when I think about all that could happen between then and now..." she sighed.

Inuyasha nodded in understanding. "I...I see what you mean...but are you sure that you mother would..."

"Approve?" Kagome's mother asked from behind them. She laughed when Inuyasha nearly jumped. "Of course I do..."

Kagome blushed a deep pink color and glared at her mom a moment. "I thought that you were with Gramps and Souta? How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." She replied, "but I will leave you alone now." She added, smiling as she walked away.

Kagome sighed deeply, and turned back towards Inuyasha. "Well, there you have it, Inuyasha. I think that we definitely have my mother's approval..." she nodded. "What...what do we have to do?"

>>>>>>

"If we go this way, maybe we can beat them by a little bit. After all, there's more of them than there is of us. Maybe we'll get lucky and that will slow them down a little bit..." Ryo prayed out loud.

Sesshoumaru huffed. "I don't need luck, Ryo. I just need to get to Kagome and Inuyasha before Shin and his croonies reach them. I do not want to have to deal with the repercussions of this."

"You won't have to..." Ryo promised.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I would not be rushing back at all right now if you had managed to find your backbone when you found out all of what was going to happen this morning. I still do not understand what is wrong with you." he snapped.

"That is the past, cousin..." Ryo began.

"I don't care what it is, Ryo. If there is anything that you should know about me, it is the fact that I hold quite a grudge..." Sesshoumaru stated in a matter-of-fact sort of tone. "If they hurt Lady Kagome, I will first kill them, and then I will come after you..." he threatened.

Ryo gulped. "Let's hurry, then..." he suggested.

"I've already said that, Ryo." Sesshoumaru snapped again as he raced even farther ahead.

>>>>>>

Inuyasha sighed. "I'm going to have to bite you, Kagome. I already explained this part to you, didn't I?" he asked her. He waited a moment, and she nodded. He continued. "I hope that it doesn't hurt, Kagome. I wish I could tell you a little more about what happens, but I don't really know..."

Kagome smiled. "Well, this is a first-time experience for both of us, Inuyasha. I won't mind if it hurts...I promise."

Inuyasha nodded slowly. "Are you sure that you are ready for this, Kagome? Because if you are not, it is all right. We can wait. We don't have to do anything right now if you do not want to..." he assured her.

Kagome shook her head back and forth quickly. "No, Inuyasha. I would not have said it if I didn't mean it," she told him.

Inuyasha gulped. "All right, then." He seemed to be thinking a moment. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Whatever it is, Inuyasha, it's all right..." Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha leaned forward, taking Kagome's hand in one of his own and kissing it lightly. Leaning in even more, he kissed her lightly on the lips, and then carefully moved her long raven hair off of her collar bone. Taking a short breath, Inuyasha leaned down slightly and bit Kagome as gently as possible.

The sensation of it made Kagome gasp in surprise. The bite was not really a painful one, but Kagome had never been bitten before, and the experience was new to her. Thinking he had somehow hurt her, Inuyasha jumped and pulled back quickly. Kagome let out the breath that she did not realize she had been holding, and nodded to Inuyasha.

"I'm sorry that hurt you..." he whispered in her ear as he swept his fingers over the bite mark he had recently created. The sensation sent quick shivers down Kagome's spine, and she let out a sigh.

"It didn't hurt, Inuyasha. It's all right. I'm fine..." she smiled at him. "I feel..."

"Good? Better?" Inuyasha tried to complete her sentence for her.

She smiled, nodding. "Yes. Rejuvenated." she agreed with him, wrapping him lightly in a hug.

He rested his head on the top of hers. "I love you, Kagome..."

"I love you too, Inuyasha..." Kagome sighed into his haori. After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath. "Was that...all?" she asked him.

His eyebrow rose slightly, and Kagome noticed a slight blush creep into his cheeks. Kagome could not help but laugh at this.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" she blinked. "It can't possibly be that bad..."

"Well, the mark is only temporary...it will only stay like that for a month unless we..." he blushed, clearing his throat in a manner much louder than necessary. He looked around to see if anyone was listening to them. "Unless we...erm...you know...actually _complete_ the whole mating process..."

Kagome coughed. "Oh...I...I see," she nodded. Looking at the ground, and then back up at Inuyasha, she smiled. "This time next month you'll be human..." she whispered to him. "Is the 'process' supposed to be complete _before_ then?"

Inuyasha's eyebrow rose. "Ka...Kagome..." he blinked.

"I was _just_ asking!" She yelped innocently. Sighing, she changed the subject. "Well, is anything going to happen to me between now and then?"

It was Inuyasha's turn to look away. "I don't know..." he admitted. "I would ask my brother, but he isn't here right now..."

>>>>>>

Kagome's grandfather paced the floor of her small hut. "Akira, I can't believe you just gave her permission like that! I mean, I knew that we all knew this was going to happen, but you just...out of the blue...it's...I don't think..." he stammered.

Kagome's mother frowned. "What makes you so nervous about this, Gramps?" she demanded of him. "I married your son at a young age, and you said nothing about it then..."

"Those we different times," he defended himself. "Kagome should be concerned with school and her future and..."

"Gramps, she is 18 years old now. She has spent the last three years traveling between the times. She hasn't been at school like a normal girl, because she is anything but normal. Have you ever thought that maybe this could be her future? Maybe he could be her future? That maybe she wants to stay here...start a family? Because I certainly have...and I really don't think that there is anything wrong with it. I don't. Because I trust Kagome and I trust her judgment, and I know that her and Inuyasha are going to be fine."

Kagome's grandfather's frown deepened. "I have considered it in my mind, yes..." he agreed with her. "But as I said, I didn't think that things would happen so soon."

"Well, it has." Akira nodded. "And I'm certainly happy for them. I'm glad that Kagome was patient with him and waited for him...although I think it took the two of them long enough to come to their senses..."

"I don't want to hear your musings, Akira. How do you really know that they haven't already..." he let the sentence stop there.

Kagome's mother gasped. "Gramps! They wouldn't!" she yelped. "Trust your granddaughter every once in a while. She loves Inuyasha and he loves her. You know that...I know that...and everyone else knows it. What they do now isn't really up to us, is it?"

>>>>>>

"Ryo, we are almost there. I can't detect Shin or any other demons in the area for that matter. I thought that you said that they were ahead of us?" Sesshoumaru asked his cousin. "If what you said is true...then where do you suppose they have gone?"

Ryo shook his head as he followed behind Sesshoumaru. "I do not know, cousin. I know only that they left this morning in search of your brother and his intended, Lady Kagome." he answered.

"Yes, and _I _know that my nose does not just stop working..." Sesshoumaru smirked. "Could they have gone after the wrong scent?" he asked out loud, although the question wasn't really directed at anyone.

"I don't know," Ryo admitted.

"Hmm..." Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. "Well, in any case, we _should_ beat them there. It's just ahead."

"I see..." Ryo nodded.

>>>>>>

**A/N: **Cliffie! But where are Shin and his goonies? Will Inuyasha and Kagome be all right? What's going to happen next? Please review and let me know what you think, and I will put up the next installment as soon as I can. Besides...you know you want to know what happens... :D


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Here's chapter ten! Hope you like it! Please keep the reviews coming:D

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Ten_

"Souta, do you think you and your family are going to stay here?" Kohaku asked.

Souta thought about this. "I know Kagome wants to, and I would like to, but I think that my grandfather has to go back to the shrine soon. He is its keeper...and I don't know, but we may end up going with him..."

Kohaku frowned and shook his head. "Well, you'll still be able to visit, in any case." he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Honestly, I would like it if you stayed...I don't know if you noticed or not, but there aren't many kids our age around here. This place isn't exactly 'leisurely'...there's always something going on, and never any time to just relax and try to be a kid..." he sighed.

Souta nodded slowly. He understood, _somewhat_. He himself had never really known the pressure of a war, and he certainly had his share of free time, and the video games to prove it...but this was the Warring States era...it certainly wasn't hard for him to _imagine_ the way that Kohaku must feel.

As if on some type of cue, Souta and Kagome's grandfather came walking quickly out of the hut. "I need to go home!" he proclaimed to the world. "The Higurashi shrine can not sit empty any longer!" He glanced around. "Souta, are you coming?" he asked the boy.

Souta blinked. "Is mom going?" he asked quietly.

His grandfather shook his head. "No," he said, "not yet."

Souta thought a moment. "Then I will stay here with mother until she wants to return," he decided.

His grandfather nodded in acceptance and continued to walk towards the forest. Miroku, who had been sitting by the fire trying to convince Sango to bear his child, yelped and stood up when he realized where the old man was headed.

Running, Miroku ended up standing in front of him and blocking his path.

"I'm going home," he stated.

Miroku nodded. "All right...I understand that...but remember the little talk Inuyasha and Kagome had with you about not wandering off on your own and everything? Well, even though Naraku is dead, there are still plenty of other demons who would love to get their hands on the sacred jewel of four souls...so walking out of here alone with a shard of the jewel in your pocket isn't a good idea...unless you want to be attacked..."

Kagome's grandfather nodded. "Well then, would someone please escort me back to the well?" he asked.

Miroku smiled and nodded. "I will," he agreed, grabbing his staff up in his good hand. He sighed. "Do not worry," he told Kagome's grandfather. "The staff may not seem like much, but we will have other protection if we need it. I still have not figured out why the curse in my hand has not gone away, despite the fact that Naraku is dead..."

The old man nodded. "It is all right. I trust you to get me back to the well safely."

"Bye, gramps!" Souta waved.

Kagome walked out of Kaede's hut, followed closely by Inuyasha.

"Gramps is leaving?" she asked.

Souta nodded. "He's going to take care of the shrine. He said he no longer thought it good to leave it unattended."

Kagome frowned. "Well, that's nice, I guess..." she sighed.

"It's all right, Kagome. We have the jewel now, so you can visit him whenever you want...every day even..." Inuyasha whispered in her ear. "Naraku is gone, so we don't have to worry about _him_ anymore."

"Yeah, just _everyone else_ who seems to want you dead or me gone or a combination of both..." she said under her breath. "I am starting to worry about..." Kagome stopped in the middle of her sentence.

Inuyasha blinked. "What is it?" he asked her.

She shook her head, as if she had been imagining something. "It's kind of weird..." she admitted. "I was just about to say 'I am starting to worry about Sesshoumaru...' but he's coming...he's just ahead, and he has someone with him..."

"How do you know?" Inuyasha's eyebrow rose at the accuracy of Kagome's statement. He could smell his brother's scent, and the scent of another dog demon heading quickly in their direction...but how had Kagome managed to sense it?

"I don't know..." she admitted. "I...I can _smell_ them, I think..." she gasped.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped to the floor, as did Souta's upon hearing his sister's proclamation that she could _smell_ two people who he himself could not even see yet. Sango still sat by the fire, and blinked several times, sending Kohaku a look of confusion. Kaede came out of her hut and gasped at the statement, and seemed to be studying the young miko hard.

From inside Kagome's hut, her mother walked out. She had the oddest unreadable expression of shock and interest on her face. Shippo was being held happily in her arms. He looked up when Kagome's mother walked outside, and scrunched his nose up in a comical fashion.

"Mommy, you smell different," he finally realized. "Oh..." he blinked. "Inuyasha...he marked you?" With a blush, Kagome nodded to confirm the small fox demon's thoughts. He smiled happily, and took another breath of the air around him.

"But that's not all..." he said, jumping out of Kagome's mother's arms and running to Kagome. He jumped up on her shoulder and blinked several times, taking another deep breath.

"What is it, Shippo?" Kagome asked after the little demon did not say anything for a few moments.

He placed his hand to his chin in thought, as though he could not believe his own nose. "It's not bad...I don't think it's bad anyway..." he told her. He paused a moment, and she nodded. "It's just that...well...you don't smell like a _human _anymore." he finally admitted. "You smell more like...like a..." he paused again. "You smell like a half demon, mommy..." he said quickly.

Kagome blinked in surprise, as did Inuyasha. Kagome looked up at him, asking for his confirmation of the statement Shippo had made. At first, he shrugged. Looking down at the small fox demon, he sighed and took a deep breath. He blinked in confusion after doing so. How could he _not_ have realized that this was happening to Kagome? Had his nose completely failed to alert him to this change in his future mate until it was obvious to everyone but him.

"I...I don't know how it happened..." he admitted to her, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't realize. This is the kind of thing Sesshoumaru would normally warn me about...but he isn't here. I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't want you to end up like me..."

Rin blinked in confusion. "What did you mean, Inuyasha?" she asked in the way of a genuinely curious child.

Kagome shook her head. "No, Inuyasha. Don't apologize. I'm fine. I've never felt better than this, actually. I don't mind it at all..." she assured him. "When you think about it, how else were we to spend our lives together if you would end up outliving me by hundreds and hundreds of years?" she laughed slightly.

Inuyasha blinked, and nodded. "You really don't mind?"

Kagome shook her head. "I really don't," she repeated.

Inuyasha gulped and opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but Shippo beat him to the punch. "The transformation isn't complete yet, of course. You don't have the other physical characteristics...and naturally, all of it will go away in a month if you guys don't _finalize _it."

Everyone looked shocked at the kitsune's statement. Everyone except Inuyasha, that is. He laughed slightly. "Don't be alarmed. Shippo may be young, but he is a full demon, so he was taught these things when he was small. Naturally, he would know a lot about it."

Shippo nodded as if he was confirming Inuyasha's statement, and soon went back to Kagome's hut to continue with his previous activities.

Soon after that, Miroku returned with several small but beautiful purple flowers which he immediately gave to Sango. "Did I miss anything?" he asked as he took a seat next to her near the fire.

She shook her head and smiled. "Only that Kagome is going to turn into a half demon..."

The monk's jaw dropped. "I had to leave, didn't I?" he whined. "I miss all the good stuff!"

Moments later, Sesshoumaru appeared, but he brought company. The dog demon behind him seemed to be slightly shorter than he was. He stared at all of them with an odd sort of curiosity until his eyes rested on Kagome and Inuyasha.

"That is Kagome and Inuyasha, isn't it?" he asked Sesshoumaru.

He nodded. "Yes it is. Apparently, they are fine...we needn't worry, Ryo..."

Ryo took a deep breath. "They have already started the mating process..." he realized.

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose slightly at his brother. It was then that he indeed noticed the change in the young miko's scent. He nodded. "I see no problem with that, Ryo. If anything, that should keep the two of them safer. Obviously, Lady Kagome's transformation is not complete, but I definitely don't think it was a _bad_ idea..."

Sesshoumaru walked over to Kagome and Inuyasha and nodded slightly. "The mark was very recent," he noted. "Ryo, we have nothing to worry about. Once Kagome's transformation is complete, she should do well defending herself against Shin and the others."

"Who?" Inuyasha blinked with worry.

"Who's Shin?" Kagome demanded. "What did you mean by 'others'?"

"Shin and the others will not be joining us. At all. Ever." Ryo suddenly laughed from somewhere low in his throat. "They're dead..."

Sesshoumaru visibly paled, but managed to keep his composure and his tell-nothing stoic gaze. He frowned. "What did you just say?" he growled, standing in front of his half-brother and Kagome.

"I said they're dead, cousin. I've killed them. They were dead before you even reached me the other day...but I cloaked their scents so that you would not know...and gave you a false trail so that you would lead me right to them..." Ryo explained.

Sesshoumaru growled even lower. "You _killed _your own pack?" he snarled. "And now you aspire to try and kill my brother and Lady Kagome?"

Ryo nodded, as though Sesshoumaru was actually _asking _him this.

"Why?" Sesshoumaru demanded.

Meanwhile, Rin ran into Kaede's hut, where the old woman was standing ready in case of any intrusion from the demon outside.

"What are ye doing, Rin? Ye should not be out there when there is so much bad energy about. Ye could end up getting hurt..." Kaede warned the young girl.

Rin nodded. "I need two bows and some arrows, Lady Kaede. One is for Kagome..." she paused. "The other is for myself. I do not want to run or hide behind my Lord Sesshoumaru any longer. Kagome has taught me well. A couple days ago I could barely hit the target, but that has changed now..."

After a short pause in which the old woman pondered Rin's statement, she finally nodded and retrieved two bows and quivers from the back corner of her hut. "All right, child...but ye be safe if ye insist on staying out there!" she called as the little girl ran out.

Kagome looked down. Rin was standing to her left holding two bows and two quivers in each of her hands.

"Rin, what are you...?" Kagome began.

Rin shook her head. "Just take one. You can't just stand there. This is Lord Sesshoumaru's cousin...isn't that what he said...? But he doesn't seem very nice..." Rin seemed to be thinking for a moment. "One is for me, too. I want to try to help Lord Sesshoumaru." she smiled with pride.

Kagome nodded uncertainly. "All right, Rin." she decided. "Just try not to get hurt."

"I won't!" she promised.

"Rin!" Sesshoumaru realized, practically shoving the little girl behind him with Kagome and Inuyasha.

Ryo laughed. "You can't protect them all, Sesshoumaru. You and I are equally matched. I know your moves. You may be able to stave me off for a little while, but you can not be their shield forever." he smirked again. "What's wrong? Does the emotionless Sesshoumaru have an attachment to a human child? This is why Kagome and Inuyasha must be stopped..."

"What?" both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru blinked.

"Demons can not allow themselves to get infatuated with humans. Bad things happen. They end up disgraced...just like your father was after he mated that silly human woman. The whole thing was a stain on his good name...a half blood son born to the great Inutaisho...and all of it was the reason for his death..."

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru growled. Sesshoumaru drew his sword. "You leave my father out of this, Ryo! He has absolutely nothing to do with Inuyasha and Kagome right now! You have lost your senses!"

"He has everything to do with it!" Ryo snapped his reply. "His was the example that demons everywhere were _not _supposed to follow. But at least the human Inutaisho picked for himself was not a priestess! That is truly an abomination!"

Kagome's eyes grew wide at the demon's statement. Standing behind her now was Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Sango's little brother Kohaku. Each had their weapons aimed.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "So that is why...you are _afraid_ of the union between my brother and Kagome. It _scares_ you because you fear the idea of children with both powers...demon, and spiritual...You are _afraid_...because that would mean that they would be stronger than _you_...out of your control..."

Ryo blinked, taking a step back. "It can not be allowed to happen, Sesshoumaru! That is why I had to kill Shin and the others...he was ready to call upon you and celebrate. He didn't realize how important it really was...and everyone else seemed to agree with him!" Ryo growled. "When I tried to explain to them the gravity of the situation, they thought it was _I_ who was out of line! I tried to subdue them...but they retaliated. They had to be taken care of before the news reached the rest of the demon community..." Ryo paused. "And then _I _was going to have to take care of Kagome and Inuyasha...to make sure that this doesn't happen...and low and behold, you showed up an hour later..." he smiled. "It was the perfect opportunity...and I had to take it..." he smirked.

>>>>>>

**A/N: **I know...cliffie...but I can't help it sometimes. Please review and let me know what you think:D Thanks, everyone!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Here's chapter eleven! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far, and please keep your comments coming! I love that people seem to enjoy this story so much:D

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Eleven_

"Kagome...I want you to get out of here." Inuyasha whispered. He looked back at Sango, who was still standing behind him, along with the rest of his friends. All of them appeared to be prepared to fight to protect the young couple. Inuyasha blinked twice to ensure to himself that they all were indeed there. He sighed. "I don't want _any_ of you to get hurt..." he admitted after a moment.

"Well Inuyasha...you can't choose our battles for us...and right now, we all 'choose' to help you out. We're your friends. That's what we are here for, remember?" It was Miroku who replied. "Besides, you'd throw a fit if it was us in your position, so let's just say we're paying you back for all those other times _you_ saved _our _skin, all right?"

Inuyasha groaned. "All right..." he frowned.

In front of them, Ryo growled, and Inuyasha drew his sword.

"Sesshoumaru," he whispered. "Exactly how big a deal is this guy?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I don't know...but he took down several members of his own pack by himself...so we have our work cut out for us." he admitted. "Just make sure Kagome is protected, Inuyasha. I don't want father to turn over in his grave because of all of this. If he was alive..." Sesshoumaru trailed off. "This is not typical of any dog demon pack...we are very loyal...that is why the bond between mates is a bond for life..."

"I understand, Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha nodded, stepping out from behind his older brother.

Kagome followed suit, her bow loaded and aimed straight at the dog demon Ryo. Lest he dared to move an inch, he would catch an arrow in the chest. Right now though, he was still standing right where he had been standing since his arrival. No one had made the first move...yet.

From behind all of them, an arrow sailed over head and hit Ryo squarely in his chest. Kagome knew from whence the arrow had come. Sesshoumaru turned in surprise to see Rin standing behind him to his left, preparing to load another arrow into her bow.

"Rin!" he yelled at her. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm shooting the bad guy, Lord Sesshoumaru! I'm helping! It will be all right! I can do it! Lady Kagome taught me how!"

Without another word, Sesshoumaru charged forward, clashing swords with Ryo. He would have to deal with his human charge later...right now, he had himself a rogue dog demon to dispose of.

Inuyasha followed his brother's example, charging forward with his sword at the ready.

"Two on one isn't fair, _Lord _Sesshoumaru," Ryo mocked. "Can't you handle me on your own, or must you employ your hanyou brother's help? It's quite sad, you know? Your father would have made quick work of someone like me..."

"Shut up!" Sesshoumaru snarled, his eyes turning blood red for an instant. "_I _am not my father!"

Inuyasha jumped back when this happened. He had only seen his brother this angry once or twice in his entire life, and he didn't want to be too close, should his brother's anger lead to his transformation.

"Stay back!" Inuyasha warned. "If he transforms, he could accidentally trample all of us!"

"Lord Sesshoumaru would never hurt us!" Rin gasped in pure horror. She herself had never seen the normally quiet demon lord in his true form, and had no clue why the prospect of his transformation was such a big deal. She considered him her protector. To her, he was not someone to be feared unless you were his enemy...which Ryo certainly was.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome called. "Don't transform! Please! There are innocent people in this village who could get hurt!" she pleaded with him.

"I think Rin is right..." Miroku mused. "I do not think that he will transform..."

Kagome sighed with relief, aiming the arrow she still had yet to fire. She let it fly, a blue trail of energy following it as it went. She hit her mark as she always does, hitting Ryo in his chest. This was the second arrow to hit him there, and he yelped in surprise when it made contact.

Sesshoumaru nodded to Kagome, who, along with Rin, already had another arrow ready and aimed by the time the first had hit.

Inuyasha soon rejoined the fray, jumping in from the side and bring his sword down. The large blade sliced Ryo's arm, and he growled. Pushing Sesshoumaru back just long enough, the rogue dog demon planted his sword in Inuyasha's stomach and then promptly sent him flying backwards into the nearest wall.

"Ah...!" Kagome yelped in pain, grabbing her stomach and retreating into a curled position. Her bow lay forgotten on the ground. "Inu...yasha..." She groaned. "You hurt...him..." she stammered.

Sesshoumaru turned around, allowing everyone to see the look of worry on his face. "Lady Kagome!" He yelled. "Get back up! You can't let it win! Inuyasha is not dead!" _Because you would be a lot worse off if he actually was, _the demon lord thought to himself.

Kagome groaned, slowly and shakily getting to her feet. "It...hurts..." She frowned. Looking over, Inuyasha was still unconscious, but she could tell he was still alive. She could hear his heartbeat...

Something about seeing him this way got her blood boiling. It was true, if Ryo did not further harm him, he was going to live...but Ryo _had_ hurt him...and that made her angry.

"Mommy..." Shippo whispered, awe in his voice. "You're _glowing_..."

At hearing the small fox demon's words, Ryo momentarily stopped his assault on Sesshoumaru and gasped. "No! This can _not_ be allowed to happen!" He jumped over Sesshoumaru and charged at Kagome, his sword held out in front of him.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled. "Watch out!"

Kagome released a low growl from somewhere deep in her throat. "I'm fine, Sango." she assured her friend. "I've never felt better, actually..."

Ryo stopped dead in his tracks. "You...transformed...you're...you're a hanyou..." he stammered.

Kagome blinked. "Hmm...so I am." she nodded in a matter-of-fact voice. "Are you scared?" she smirked. "I'm only a hanyou...half power, right? So, what are you so worried about?"

Shippo and Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise at Kagome's statement.

"Kagome, did you just..." Sango began.

"I am not afraid of you, half-breed." Ryo finally answered Kagome's question. He seemed to be thinking a moment. "Brace yourself, woman. You will die. I can no longer permit you to live..."

"Lady Kagome!" Kagome glanced over. Sango's sword was flying towards her. She caught it in her right hand, and studied it for a moment.

"Thanks, Sango!" she smiled. "You were saying?" she turned to Ryo.

Miroku blinked. "She sounds just as bad as Inuyasha...don't you think?" he laughed to Sango. "I guess that means she inherited Inuyasha's attitude problem from him, huh?"

"It's not funny, Miroku. This guy is pretty much matched with Sesshoumaru...and even back when Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would fight, Inuyasha had a hard time...and he's been working with his powers since he was born...not to mention how much older than Kagome he really is when you think about it..."

"True..." Miroku realized.

"We can help her..." Sango decided.

"I don't think so!" Ryo held his hand up, and Shippo, Rin, Kohaku, Sango, and Miroku flew into the nearest tree.

Miroku was the first up, and he ran forward, only to be thrown back by an invisible force. He groaned. "A barrier? How? What the...?" he whispered to himself.

"A barrier?" Sesshoumaru repeated.

"We can't get out!" Sango yelled. "Kagome, be careful! We can't get out of here!"

Kagome wheeled around. "What happened? What did he...?" she began. Almost as soon as her back was turned, she felt something slam hard against her head, and she fell almost immediately into darkness.

Sesshoumaru charged forward, but he too was thrown back.

>>>>>>

"What the hell?" Inuyasha groaned groggily as he woke up. He looked around. There was obviously panic among the villagers. He could hear the worry in their voices. He opened his eyes, and several of them, along with the old woman Kaede and Kagome's mother, were all staring at him. "What happened?" he demanded.

"Inuyasha..." Kaede sighed.

"What's wrong, old woman?" Inuyasha took a deep breath. He blinked. This was about the time that he noticed that Sesshoumaru and his friends were standing behind the group that was gathered around him. Sango in particular looked as though she had been crying. That was when he smelled it. It was faint, but he could still catch the scent of Kagome's blood.

He gasped, and jumped up almost immediately. "Where is she?" he demanded of everyone around him. "He didn't...I mean..." he stammered.

"He knew how to put up barriers, Inuyasha. I don't know how. Even I couldn't penetrate them...and then he hit Kagome in the head with his sword and took off. By the time Lady Kaede was able to free any of us, he was already well hidden. His scent was completely gone. We've been trying to wake you up for a while now. You're going to have to find her..."

Inuyasha gulped. "What will he...I mean what do you think...what is he going to do? What is he planning?" Inuyasha shot questions at his older brother.

Sesshoumaru sighed. "I don't think he plans on killing her, Inuyasha. He said he was going to, but he could have easily done so after subduing all of us, and he did not..."

Inuyasha visibly shivered. "Well, if he doesn't plan on killing her...what _are_ his plans?"

"I...I really don't know, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru admitted.

Sango took a deep breath. "We...we tried, Inuyasha..." she stammered. "I'm sorry..."

"It wasn't your fault, Sango...we'll find Kagome. I can do this. I'm linked to her, remember? I will be able to find her that way."

Sango nodded hopefully.

>>>>>>

"I brought the girl with me. Unfortunately, the hanyou Inuyasha had already marked her." Ryo reported. "I don't know what you plan on doing with her, exactly...but I hope you can offer some sort of protection. Have you forgotten that my cousin is Lord Sesshoumaru? He will be coming after me because of the atrocities I have committed against my pack..."

"And you are afraid?" the man smirked.

"I...no..." Ryo shook his head. "I don't know." He paused a moment. "What exactly _do _you plan on doing with the girl? She's useless to you..."

"No," the man shook his head. "She is invaluable. She is Inuyasha's one weakness...and I am going to take her away from him...and get back what was originally mine..."

"Are you sure this will work?" Ryo blinked.

"Positive..."

"How are you going to...?" Ryo began.

The man bore his fangs, and Ryo gasped. "Have you lost your mind? Even I know better than to do that! The girl is already marked. If you disrupt that, it could kill her! Not to mention what Inuyasha would do to you...or Sesshoumaru, for that matter..."

"I am not worried about Sesshoumaru. I fear no one."

"Really?" Ryo smirked. "Then why do you hide?"

>>>>>>

Kagome groaned. The mating mark that Inuyasha had placed on her neck throbbed. "Where am I?" she frowned. "Inuyasha?" She took a deep breath. The scent around her was strikingly familiar...it was something she recognized from her recent past...something she knew from back when she was human...

"Naraku?" she gasped. "No..."

As if on cue, she heard his laughing from the corner of the dark room. She struggled to move, but realized that she was stuck.

"I missed you too, Kagome. That really hurt, you know? You could have been a little gentler when you were killing me...you are lucky to have made it this far...Ryo was supposed to kill you himself...but he is a coward..." Naraku paused a moment. "So now, I have you. But..." he smiled at her and stroked her hair. She turned away in disgust. "I don't plan on killing you anymore. I've decided that you are more valuable than that..._you _are his _weakness_, Kagome...and that makes you more precious to me than gold..."

"No..." Kagome shook her head.

Naraku smiled. "If you tell me where the jewel is, I won't kill him..."

Kagome frowned. "I won't do that. You could never kill him before...I doubt that's any different now..."

"Yes...yes it is. Because I am going to take away the one thing he fights for. You. And I won't even have to kill you to do it..." Naraku explained to her, an evil glint in his eye.

Kagome's eyes were uncertain. "What are you talking about?" she growled, once again trying to struggle free of her restraints.

Naraku leaned forward, showing his fangs.

Kagome paled. "Don't!" she yelped. "You can't do that! Get the hell away from me!" she screamed.

Naraku bit down on Kagome's shoulder, and she screamed. It burned. It was unlike when Inuyasha had bitten her. Inuyasha had tried to be gentle. Kagome felt now as though there was acid on her skin. "Stop!" she yelled. She felt as though there was poison dripping through her veins, as though part of her was slowly dieing.

Naraku pulled back and licked his lips. "That was fun, now wasn't it?" he smirked.

>>>>>>

Inuyasha screamed and threw his hand up to his shoulder. "Ah! It burns!" he yelped.

Sesshoumaru stopped dead. "What happened?" he demanded.

Inuyasha groaned, and did not remove his hand. "My shoulder...I...I don't know...I feel like my skin is on fire...ugh..." he frowned. He suddenly felt as though part of himself was fading away, as if he was dieing. "Kagome..." he whispered.

Sango gasped. "Kagome? Inuyasha...what happened?" she worried.

"Kagome...something is wrong with Kagome..."

"Move your hand, Inuyasha..." Sesshoumaru commanded.

"It burns, damn it!" Inuyasha growled. "Kagome is hurt! What the hell does that have to do with..."

Sesshoumaru jerked Inuyasha's hand away from his shoulder. "Inuyasha...where did you place your mating mark on Kagome? Was it on her shoulder? Think! Tell me!" he demanded.

After a moment, Inuyasha nodded.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Damn it...the mark is gone...it will poison her..." Sesshoumaru said under his breath. "Come on! We have to pick up the pace!"

"Poison?" Inuyasha yelped, his eyes growing wide. "What do you mean the mark is gone? It can't be gone..."

Sesshoumaru nodded sadly. "Kagome does not have to agree to be bitten, Inuyasha. The fact that another demon's mark has taken the place of yours is not a good thing...it's poisoning her..."

>>>>>>

**A/N:** Okay...I know I did it again...sorry. I'll try to update soon...if you promise to review. :D Thanks to everyone who has been supporting this story thus far!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Here's chapter twelve! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, especially those of you who are constant reviewers! I love the comments on the story, and I am glad that everyone is enjoying it so much. This story is doing so well, and I'm proud of it. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the ones before it!

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Twelve_

Kagome whimpered. _I have to get out of this room...I can't stay here. I'm going to die if I stay here,_ she thought to herself. Already, she felt as though ice was making its way through her body, down to her very bones. This was no doubt one of the adverse affects of Naraku's biting her.

She pulled and yanked at the chains that bound her. They were thick. After several pulls of her arms, Kagome could feel them go limp. The strength required just to move was nearly overwhelming to her. With Naraku's poison coursing through her veins, she grew weaker with each passing hour.

"Have to get out..." she coughed. "Can't go to sleep...can't..." She could feel her eyes getting heavy, and jerked her arm forward painfully to try to keep herself awake. She yelped in pain. There was a small line of blood trickling down her arm, and her new acute sense of smell caught the stench of it almost immediately.

"Damn it!" she cursed uncharacteristically.

She took a deep breath. She hadn't heard anything, but thanks to her nose, she could tell that someone else was in the room with her.

"Kagome?" It was a woman's voice. A very familiar woman...

Kagome blinked. "Kikyou..." she whispered. "What the...? We haven't heard from you in so long...I was worried...I thought you had died. How long have you been trapped in here?"

Kikyou nodded sadly. "I was already dead, Kagome...but your suspicions are correct. I am gone. How do you think I was able to get into this room without you hearing the door open...? Especially with those sharper senses of yours...?"

Kagome sighed sadly. "How? What happened? I'm so confused..." she stammered.

"I was not killed, Kagome. I moved on. I was able to move on because of Inuyasha. He finally made his choice. He chose you, but he made his choice...and you and Sesshoumaru went after Naraku and avenged my death...or so we thought..."

"I'm sorry, Kikyou. I didn't mean to..." Kagome began.

Kagome heard her sigh. "Do not worry about it. You've done nothing wrong. I realize that now. However, this predicament that you seem to have trapped yourself in is doing neither you nor Inuyasha any good, now is it?"

Kagome gulped and nodded. "I feel as though I have no energy..."

"That is because Naraku has robbed you of it. I have come to free you...but you are going to have to hope that you can get out on your own...I can't help you there..."

Kagome only grunted her reply. Without the distraction, she was starting to feel weak and tired again.

"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep..." Kikyou's voice was a whisper, and Kagome felt herself falling to the ground. "Stay awake, Kagome...dig deep inside you for your own power..."

>>>>>>

"It's up ahead!" Sesshoumaru pointed. "I can sense Ryo..." Sesshoumaru paused. "And Naraku was here! The trail is recent..." he gasped.

"Naraku?" Inuyasha growled. "If Naraku is behind all this, he will pay!"

"That explains why the curse in my hand did not subside..." frowned Miroku.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered. "She's in there somewhere. She's bleeding...It's weak, but I still feel connected to her..."

>>>>>>

Kagome found that being free of her restraints did not really help much in the escape process. The poison running through her veins was really starting to affect her, and she found that it was practically impossible to walk. She shivered.

_"...dig deep inside you for your own power..."_ she heard Kikyou's voice in her head.

"I...Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered. Growling from somewhere low in her throat, Kagome placed her fists down on the floor and pushed herself up as hard as she could. She wavered on her feet, and held herself up using the wall.

She took a deep breath. Naraku had once been nearby, but his scent was weaker now. Had he gone away? Had he left her in this room, chained up to rot? Where had he gone?

Taking several staggering steps forward, Kagome groaned in pain. She had to get out of here. She had to. If she stayed, there was no telling what would happen.

"I'm coming, Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered. She didn't think anyone was there to hear her...she was talking to herself to keep motivated.

"Be careful, Kagome," smirked another voice from the corner.

Kagome yelped in fright. "Who are you? Why do you have no scent?" she yelled into the darkness.

"I was only warning you. Naraku will not be happy when he returns to find that you have run off on him..." the man frowned. "If you plan on getting out of here, you'd better go a little bit quicker than that, or you could get stuck here and end up like us...only worse..."

"Worse?" Kagome repeated, her voice low from sickness and exhaustion. "Who are you? What are you?"

"I am part of him...as Kagura was before she was killed. We share the same essence...and I hate him for it." he replied. "You could end up worse. You must get out of here...you have to hide yourself from him. He can not be allowed to finish what he started..."

Kagome shivered at the very thought of it, and took yet another step forward. "I _will_ get out of here..." she said to herself. "I will get back to Inuyasha..."

"Keep thinking that, Kagome. Inuyasha and the rest of your pack is close by. Keep focusing...it's making you stronger..."

Kagome shoved open the door in front of her and groaned. Her wrist throbbed where she had cut it earlier yanking at the chains that bound her. She was standing in a hallway. She took a deep breath and began to take another step forward when she felt herself go limp, and she crumbled to the floor in darkness.

"Stupid girl," the man smirked. He walked forward and gathered her limp form up in his arms. "And she was so close to making it on her own..." He carried her the rest of the way outside and set her on the ground. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had just arrived with the others, and glared daggers at this strange demon who had been carrying Kagome.

"What the hell did you do to her?" screamed Inuyasha, his sword drawn.

The man shook his head. "I have done nothing...but you would do well to get Kagome far away from this place before Naraku finishes what he has started. The poison has gotten to her, and it is far too much for the priestess in her to purify. She can survive it though, if you just make sure to..."

The demon stopped short and screamed, dropping to his knees in horrible pain. Inuyasha ran forward, but soon the demon was reduced to nothing but ash.

Sesshoumaru took a careful step forward and placed his hand near his sword. "Inuyasha...get away!" he commanded, the stench of Naraku suddenly invading his nose. "He's back!"

"I've got to get Kagome first!" he growled, running forward and scooping her up.

From somewhere above them, Naraku laughed. "That, Inuyasha, is just what I was hoping you would do. You came straight into my trap. Anything at all for the woman you love, huh?"

Inuyasha growled from somewhere deep within his throat. "Yeah. Got a problem with that, you son-of-a..."

"Good night, Inuyasha..." Naraku smirked.

"No!" Sesshoumaru yelped.

Inuyasha gasped, and fell to his knees. Everything around him was going black...

>>>>>>

"Wake up, Inuyasha..." Naraku's voice echoed through the darkness.

Inuyasha jolted awake. "What the hell?" he screamed. "Where is Kagome?"

"Don't move too hastily, Inuyasha. That barrier will purify you in an instant, even if you are a hanyou. I would advise that you stay where you are if you wish to stay alive...besides, you'd miss the show."

"What are you talking about? What have you done with Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded. "What did you do? Answer me!"

"Ryo!" Naraku yelled. "Bring Kagome to me, now!" he commanded.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "I'm going to kill that..." he growled.

"No. You aren't going to move if you value your life...remember?" Naraku laughed.

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. "If you hurt her, I swear I'm going to..."

"I have done nothing of the sort...yet..." Naraku smiled. "And if you tell me where the jewel of four souls is, I won't have to do anything at all."

Inuyasha looked at the ground. "I...I don't know where it is..." he whispered. "After we completed it, it disappeared. We don't know what happened to it." He was lying of course...what made Naraku think that either of them was going to tell him anything about the jewel of four souls?

"Don't lie to me, Inuyasha. You are going to make me very angry. That will not be good for Kagome. Do you understand what I am saying?" The glint in Naraku's eyes told Inuyasha his intentions.

"Don't lay a hand on her you bastard!" Inuyasha snarled.

"Tell me where the jewel is, and I promise I won't kill her..."

"No..." Kagome groaned. "Don't you say a damn word, Inuyasha. You understand me? Not a word? He has threatened both of us with the same thing...he's running in circles. That means he doesn't know anything...he _really_ doesn't know anything. That's why he needed us. He is going to try to use us against each other." Kagome frowned. "Don't listen to a damn word he says, no matter what."

Inuyasha gulped. "Kagome? Are you all right? You...I can smell your blood..." He glared at Naraku.

Naraku shook his head. "Don't look at me, Inuyasha. That blood that you smell is from Kagome's own self-inflicted injury. I have done nothing yet..."

"He bit me..." Kagome whispered, her voice weak. She was teetering on the edge of sleep once again. She took a deep breath. "Everything hurts now..."

Inuyasha growled. "You are the one who removed her mark! You stupid bastard! Damn you! It could kill her..."

"Oh...I'd forgotten..." Naraku smiled nonchalantly. "That's right, Inuyasha. Kagome is already dieing. In a couple more hours, I won't have to worry about killing her. Can you hear it? Her heartbeat grows weaker...her breathing is getting labored...listen..."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled. "Kagome..."

"Don't worry about me, Inuyasha. I can handle it. I have the other side under control. Just...don't tell him anything..." Kagome told him.

Inuyasha blinked. "What do you mean? Are you all right? Kagome, I can't..."

"I can handle it..." Kagome assured him weakly. "I have the _other side_ under control now..." she repeated.

"Huh?" Naraku scowled. "Bring the girl to me, Ryo!" he commanded.

Ryo obeyed.

"What is it that you are hiding, Kagome?" Naraku smirked to her. "You can barely stand on your own. How do you have things under control, eh?"

Kagome smiled. "Because...I have the jewel...and you do not...and now, I have the answer...I know how to get rid of it..."

Naraku reddened in anger. "What?" He grabbed her up by her kimono. "You have had the jewel this whole time? I will kill you for defying me!"

Inuyasha gasped in realization. Naraku was intimidated by himself and Kagome. Kagome knew that. Kagome had a plan. He wasn't sure what exactly her plan was yet, but he knew it had something to do with the situation that they currently found themselves in. "Naraku...have you forgotten the demon laws? You bit her. You took away the mark I gave her. True, in time the poison will kill her," he said with almost no emotion, "but most youkai mate for life. You wouldn't want her to die then, would you Naraku? Because you would go with her..." Inuyasha told him. He knew this was true for dog demons, but he did not know if it applied to all other youkai. A little white lie never hurt anyone, did it?

"That is not true! I have not completed the process!" Naraku snapped.

Inuyasha shook his head. "It does not matter...you will feel her pain..." There was almost laughter in his eyes now...or at least there would have been, had it not been Kagome staring back at him from the other side of the barrier...

Gathering all her strength, Kagome wheeled around and grabbed Ryo's sword from its sheath at his side. She held it out in front of her. "You won't...get the jewel, Naraku..." she stammered, trying to catch her breath. "It's back where it came from, now...and I've figured out how to get rid of it so that you can never get your hands on it again..."

Inuyasha blinked. _Back where it came from?_ This sentence was a little confusing for him. Had Kagome swallowed the jewel or something?

Naraku jumped up as though he was going to lunge at her. When he did this, Ryo stepped back, but Kagome did not move at all. She still held Ryo's sword out in front of her.

"Take another step forward, and I'll put the damn sword straight through my own stomach." She threatened. Inuyasha paled considerably, but Kagome continued. "Let him go, Naraku. _Now_."

Naraku did not look at first as though he was going to comply. He simply stared back at her, as if daring her to do what she had threatened. However, he looked nervously from Inuyasha to Kagome and back again.

"As for the jewel..." Kagome paused a moment. "I want it to go away so that it can never hurt..." she paused again here, as if thinking how to properly word her statement, "or _help_ anyone again." she nodded. "Do you hear that, Midoriko?" she whispered. "It is about time that you won this fight..."

Naraku looked slightly frightened at this point.

At first, nothing was happening.

Suddenly, Kagome gasped, and her body went rigid for a moment, although she remained standing. She began to glow in a bright blue light, and suddenly, before them all stood a ghostly Midoriko.

Inuyasha blinked once. Twice. But Midoriko was still there. His mouth fell slightly open as he stared in disbelief at the woman in front of him. "You're..." he began.

She nodded. "Yes, Inuyasha." She reached her ghostly hand forward and placed it on the barrier that held him prisoner. It promptly disappeared. Again, Inuyasha blinked, but he did not stop to ask questions as he jumped to Kagome.

Midoriko turned. "Take Kagome and get her out of here, Inuyasha. She has done her job well, but she is going to die...You must put a stop to the poison running through her veins. Make haste." She smiled, and the jewel suddenly appeared in her hand. "The jewel will be gone soon...and it will purify all who are too close. You must hurry if you are to get away from it."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, but he nodded and scooped a now unconscious Kagome up into his arms. Before he left, he glanced at her. "My brother and the others...?" he began.

"They have been trying to get to you for some time. They are still outside. I trust that they will heed your warning. There is no need to worry. I do not intend to harm any of _you_..." she answered simply.

Naraku stared at Midoriko.

She turned on him. "_You_...you who have killed _so many_ and done _so much_ for this jewel..._you_ who wanted to use the jewel for your own selfish means...will be one of the first to _die_..."

>>>>>>

**A/N:** Heh...yes, I know...another cliffie...but this one is much better than the ones before it, eh? It's not as evil as the other ones, and that's always good. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think! I'll post the next chapter after I know how you guys feel about this one...Yes...I've wriiten a couple chapters ahead. Happy reading. :D


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Here is chapter thirteen for you guys:D I am so glad I have gotten such good feedback on this story. Sadly enough, though, this story only goes up to chapter fifteen...(I know some of you were wanting me to make this one longer, and I honestly would have, but I don't want to stray too far from the main point of the story...) I already have another one in the works, for those of you who are wondering, and although I haven't thought of a title, it will be out shortly after the completion of this one. Please let me know what you think!

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Thirteen_

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled, running from the castle.

The demon blinked. "How did you do that? I mean...what happened?"

"We have to get out of here, now! Midoriko is going to purify everything, and we can't be here when that happens!" Inuyasha warned them all.

Sango and Miroku nodded, hopping on Kirara's back with Rin and Kohaku and taking off quickly. Sesshoumaru hesitated a moment, but soon followed them. With a glance back, Inuyasha also followed. Was Midoriko _really _going to purify Naraku? Did this mean that their problems with Naraku were over? Of course, if they didn't get far away from there very soon, they too could end up victims of Midoriko's power...

"Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru yelled when they had gotten away. "Inuyasha! Kagome is..."

Inuyasha gasped. He had just noticed. Kagome was very pale, and her breathing was barely audible, even to his heightened senses. His ears flattened against his head. "Kagome!" he yelped. "Sesshoumaru! What am I supposed to do? Midoriko said...she said Kagome would die...what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.

"You are supposed to fix it," said Sango calmly.

Inuyasha blinked. "I don't...I don't know how. I don't know what to do..."

"You can't..." Sesshoumaru said shortly. "Don't you understand? When Naraku bit Kagome, she was in her hanyou form...however weak it was. That means that the mark was binding for..."

"As long as Naraku completed the process in a month..." Inuyasha whispered to himself. "And since he only bit her recently, she is still bound to him, even though it's poisoning her." He paused for a moment. Suddenly, he gasped. "Sesshoumaru, no! That also means that when Midoriko..." he gulped. He could not dare finish the sentence.

Sesshoumaru could only nod. "Yes, Inuyasha. Your fears are correct. When Midoriko purifies Naraku and the others, Kagome will die as well."

"That's what she meant..." Inuyasha frowned. "Damn it! She could have told me about this! I can't do this...I can't lose Kagome again..." he stammered. "How am I supposed to handle this? Why would Midoriko tell me that I could help the poison if I really couldn't?"

"Because that also meant that you would get out of the range of her power in time," Miroku answered for him.

Inuyasha sighed. "_I don't care_..."

"Would you rather you _both_ died because you were trying to save someone you could not?" Sesshoumaru snapped. "Think about it. At least this way, I can bring Kagome back...and we will not get caught in the crossfire of Midoriko's powers. We're safe."

"Inu...yasha..." Kagome whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get..." she began.

Inuyasha brought a finger to his lips. "Sh, Kagome...it's all right. Don't talk, okay? You're hurt...you're very sick and you need to lie still...please..." he pleaded with her.

Kagome nodded weakly.

>>>>>>

"Goodbye, Naraku..." Midoriko smiled, glowing in the same blue color that had practically engulfed Kagome earlier that day. Finally, the light got even brighter, and hundreds of small blue orbs shot out from Midoriko's center.

Several of these slammed directly into Naraku and Ryo.

The look of surprise on Naraku's face told its own story. The evil hanyou had not been expecting the attack, despite the transparent miko's warnings. His face showed an unpleasant mixture of severe pain and utter shock and surprise...of course...it wasn't anything he _didn't_ deserve after all the pain he had caused others.

And it was all because of a jewel...all for the sake of power that was not even really his own.

He screamed as his body was slowly torn apart by Midoriko's powers of purification.

Midoriko nodded. "You should have known better. You should have known that you would eventually have to pay for the atrocities you committed...and now, you are paying with your life..."

"No!" Naraku yelled, as if doing so would somehow keep him alive.

>>>>>>

Inuyasha yelped. "Kagome!"

Kagome had suddenly screamed, although she was, for all intents and purposes, unconscious. She jerked and twitched, yelling in pain and kicking out her arms and legs in an attempt to ease her pain.

Inuyasha's ears once again flattened against his head, and he whimpered from somewhere deep within his throat. This was it. Midoriko had no doubt finally used up the remainder of her power, and the link between Midoriko, Naraku, and Kagome meant one undeniable thing to Inuyasha. If they were gone, so was she...

Suddenly, her struggling stopped all together, and she fell limply into his arms. Inuyasha held her close. There was no breath escaping her lips, and he could not hear the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. It was gone. He held her close to him tightly. The fight for the sacred jewel of four souls had finally ended. But he feared that it cost too much...

"Inuyasha...get out of the way." Sesshoumaru warned harshly.

Inuyasha looked up. He had not realized how long he had been sitting there holding on to Kagome's lifeless body, but he didn't care much. He glared dangerously at his older brother.

Sesshoumaru growled from somewhere deep within his throat, and his eyes flashed a dark red color. Inuyasha blinked and nodded. For some reason, his brother's sudden show of power had slapped Inuyasha into his place...something none of them had ever seen before.

The emotionless dog demon standing before him cleared his throat loudly. "Move, now. I only wish to try and use tenseiga, Inuyasha. It has worked once before, and I trust it will work again if you would get out of the way," he snapped harshly. "If you do not wish to grieve her loss, then let me bring her back to the world of the living..."

Slowly, silently, Inuyasha nodded and moved out of the way.

Sesshoumaru produced his father's fang tenseiga from somewhere inside his robes, and held it out to the lifeless girl in front of him. He swished the blade lightly several times, but nothing seemed to happen. The sword seemed to be having no effect on Kagome.

Inuyasha paled in absolute horror.

He gasped. "Sesshoumaru! What the hell are you doing? What is wrong with that thing?" he demanded of his older brother.

He shrugged. "I do not know, Inuyasha. The sword has worked before. I do not understand why it refuses to work now..."

At this, Sango choked back a sob.

"No..." Miroku whispered.

Inuyasha shook his head. "This can't...it can't be happening..."

_"Kagome..." Kagome could hear the familiar voice, but she could not think of who it belonged to. She tried to look around to find the source, but she seemed to be surrounded by a bright white light, and this was allowing her to see nothing, save her own hand in front of her face. _

_She groaned. "What happened? Where am I? What is this? Where have the others gone? Have I...I mean, did I...?" she stammered. "Am I..." she gulped, "dead?" _

_She heard a sigh. "Technically, yes...but now is not your time." the voice replied. "It was your tie...your bond to Midoriko and to Naraku, that killed you...but despite your similarities with the miko and your unfortunate situation with Naraku, they do not determine that part of your destiny...someone else does. And that someone else is very much alive. You aren't supposed to leave the world of the living, Kagome. You are supposed to return to Inuyasha. You need to return to him..." _

_"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered. _

_"Yes, Inuyasha. You need to go back to the world of the living...back to him..." _

_Kagome frowned. "I don't understand. How do I...?" she began. _

_"Close your eyes, Kagome. Your future, your destiny, lies with Inuyasha. Return to your rightful place..." the voice whispered._

"Inu..ya...sha..." Kagome coughed.

Inuyasha jumped up and rushed to her side. "Kagome! Oh, gods, Kagome...we were so afraid for a moment that the tenseiga had not worked...you've been gone so long now..."

Kagome felt a throbbing pain in her head, but she sat up slowly anyway. "I...it didn't work..." she admitted to them, and Inuyasha looked at her in confusion. She shook her head. "I was...I was somewhere...and someone told me it wasn't my time...that I had to come back and live out my destiny with..." Kagome stopped short when Inuyasha's strong arms wrapped themselves around her.

"I'm so glad..." he whispered, and her eyes widened in shock at his statement.

She blinked. "Inuyasha...did you just say what I think you..."

"Yes..." he replied with a nod.

Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha...I...I just want to go home now..."

Inuyasha's expression saddened, and he nodded. "I could understand, especially after all that you have been through recently..." he stammered.

Kagome shook her head. "No, Inuyasha. That's not what I meant. I was talking about _home._ My home is here now..." She paused a moment to reflect on this. "It's here...with you. It has been for a long time now..." she admitted.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and glared at the couple. "Are you two quite done yet?" he demanded.

Kagome sighed deeply. "I am just glad that things are over. Our struggles with the jewel of four souls are over...the curse of the jewel has finally been lifted..."

Miroku nodded, holding his once cursed hand out for all to see. At first, Inuyasha recoiled in shock, but realizing that there was nothing to fear, he soon relaxed. "Let's go home..." he whispered to the group, slowly helping Kagome to get to her feet.

Kagome nodded. "I'm so tired..." she whispered.

Inuyasha smiled. "Keh, you'll be fine. You can sleep on the way if you want," he picked her up and cradled her in his arms.

>>>>>>

Kagome's mother groaned. "I can't stand this anymore!" she yelled. "Kaede, what is going on? How long is it going to take? Do you think they are all right? They haven't been hurt, have they? They've been gone for so long...I'm really starting to worry..."

Kaede shook her head from right to left. "I do not know," she admitted. "But I'm sure we will know soon enough. Do not worry. Inuyasha is very protective of Kagome. He will not let any harm come to her if he can help it...he hasn't yet."

Souta frowned. "I trust Inuyasha, but they have been gone for a long time."

"Quit worrying!" Inuyasha growled as they came into view. "We're back, and we're all in one piece...but Kagome is a little tired. She killed Naraku, after all..." he announced proudly. "Naraku is gone for good, and so is that damned jewel..."

Kagome shook her head, exhausted. "No...I didn't...it was Midoriko...she came from...I don't know where..." she whispered falteringly.

"Only because you were able to channel her, Lady Kagome..." Miroku told her.

Kagome blinked. "Huh?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. He looked down. As usual, Rin was hanging on to his pants leg. The little girl was different now, though. In her right hand, she gripped Sesshoumaru's pants leg...in her left, she held a bow...and on her back, a quiver full of new arrows that Kagome and Lady Kaede had taught her how to make.

She smiled. "Lord Sesshoumaru, can we...?" she began.

He nodded curtly. "Rin and I shall take our leave now." He turned to Inuyasha. "The next time I see you, Inuyasha and Kagome, will be when the mating ritual has been completed." With that said, Inuyasha nodded slowly, and Sesshoumaru pivoted around on his heel.

Rin bowed low to Kagome and Kaede and followed after Sesshoumaru. "Good bye, Lady Kagome!" she called as she ran into the forest.

Kagome sighed. "Sleep..." she groaned.

"Is mommy all right, Inuyasha?" asked Shippo.

Inuyasha nodded. "You know she will be." he promised. "We all will be eventually." he added, almost as an afterthought.

Kohaku nodded, as if confirming Inuyasha's statement. "I know I feel better already." he agreed.

"And tomorrow," Miroku smiled, wrapping his arm around Sango, "is a new day, and a new start for all of us..." Miroku leaned in and kissed Sango lightly on the cheeks.

A bright red blush slowly crept its way onto Sango's cheeks. "Miroku, I..." she stuttered.

"No," Inuyasha shook his head. "I think the monk is actually right for once, Sango...tomorrow _is_ a new start for all of us..."

Kagome's mother blinked as she watched the demon slayer, the monk, the hanyou, and her daughter retreat into their huts. She smiled. "Hmm...I think a lot more happened out there than any of us have any idea about..." she mused.

"You may be right..." Shippo smiled in confusion.

>>>>>>

**A/N: **Hope you liked it! Please review!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** I know I've said this about a million times, but thanks to all of you who have reviewed this story and supported it and everything. I'm glad everyone has enjoyed it so much. There is one more chapter after this...hope you like it:D

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Fourteen_

Kagome yawned and stretched her arms out above her head. She rubbed her eyes groggily and blinked several times. As her eyes began to adjust to the low lighting in the room, she noticed her favorite hanyou sitting in the corner, watching her with concern.

"Are you feeling better, Kagome?" he asked lightly.

After a moment, Kagome yawned again and nodded. "I do feel better," she smiled at him. "And just how long have you been sitting there, huh?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Keh, what does that matter?"

She laughed. "Have you been there all night?" she gasped.

He slowly nodded. "So what?"

"Inuyasha, that is so sweet of you!" Kagome grinned, wrapping him in a hug.

"I was just...worried about you, all right?" he groaned.

>>>>>>

"Good morning, Kagome!" Sango waved happily.

Kagome blinked. "Sango...I don't think it's a bad thing or anything...but why are you so...so happy? It's so early..." Kagome cocked her head sideways in confusion. "Have I totally and completely missed something?"

Sango shook her head, smiled, and then began to nod. "Kagome...it's over. Everything is finally over. Naraku and the jewel are gone...Kohaku is with me, and the curse is gone from Miroku's hand. Don't you understand?"

As if waiting for some kind of cue from her, Miroku suddenly came outside, wrapping his arm around the overly-happy demon exterminator.

Kagome looked at them a moment. Finally, everything fell into place. "Oh my god! Are you serious?" she nearly shrieked, but she threw her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound...somewhat.

Miroku nodded with a smile. "Yes...Sango has finally accepted my offer, Kagome. Now that Naraku is gone...we are going to get married!" he announced.

"That's so great!" Kagome wrapped her arms around her best friend. Sango had become like the sister that she never had, and she couldn't have been happier that Sango and Miroku had finally decided to admit things to one another and move to the next phase of their relationship. "I am so proud of the two of you!" she laughed. "It's about time!"

Miroku's eyebrow rose, and he cleared his throat. "You, my dear Lady Kagome, are a _fine_ one to talk..." he cleared his throat and motioned over to where Inuyasha was sitting, cross-legged under a nearby tree. "Shouldn't we be saying the same thing to you?"

Inuyasha growled. "I heard that, monk." he warned.

Kagome smiled and chuckled at the hanyou's behavior. It was _true_, after all. The two had finally admitted how they felt about each other, and it had not been that long ago. She glanced over at the thoughtful hanyou and nodded.

"It's great," she whispered. "Everything is great."

Shippo jumped into her arms. "Kagome, you're going to stay here now, aren't you? Miroku and Sango are going to get married. Aren't you going to stay here with me and be with Inuyasha?" he asked innocently.

Kagome's eyes sparkled, and she looked over to her mother and little brother Souta, who were eating eggs that they had made over the fire. She nodded to them and smiled sadly. Inuyasha's ear twitched, and he glanced curiously over at his intended mate.

Kagome took a deep breath. "Mom, Souta..." Kagome whispered. "I love you both, and I love gramps..." she began. "But like I said...my place is here. I want to be here...and nothing that has happened here the last couple months...or the last couple years, even...could change my mind. If you want to go back down the well to be with gramps, that's fine. I can..."

Suddenly, her eyes widened as though she was in some type of shock. Inuyasha jumped up and rushed to her side.

"What is it?" he asked her, his voice dripping with worry and concern.

She inhaled sharply. "Inuyasha...the well...the bone eater's well...it was the only way to get back to the future...and...it...it required the jewel to work..." she stammered. "It has been purified. The jewel is gone..." she frowned. "My mom and Souta...they can't get back...the well doesn't work without the jewel..." her skin paled. "Mom...Souta...I'm sorry. I didn't think about it before it all happened. I should have sent you home with gramps..."

Inuyasha blinked. "Kagome...it's all right. I'm sure that everything is going to be fine..."

Kagome's mother wrapped her in a hug. "It's fine, Kagome. We don't mind, really. We would rather be here with you than go home and be without you. We will be happy here." she promised her daughter. "Besides," she whispered in her ear, "if you had sent us home, I'd miss the chance to meet my future grand-babies..."

A blush appeared instantly on Kagome and Inuyasha's cheeks.

"Mom!" Kagome yelped.

"Sorry!" she smiled. "I couldn't resist saying it..."

Kagome sighed. "It's all right," she nodded.

>>>>>>

Kaede grinned. "This is a very blessed day," she announced to the spectators of the village. "A new home will be built on the edge of the forest to house this happy new couple. I trust that you will all help." she nodded.

Kagome smiled. "I'm so glad that Sango and Miroku have everyone's blessing..."

Kaede sighed. "There is another couple in our midst who has everyone's blessing as well, Kagome. The fight with Naraku is over. Neither of you have anything to fear anymore. You can be happy now..." she smiled at her.

Kagome blushed. "But Sango and Miroku are..."

"They are already where they need to be, young Kagome." Kaede laughed.

"We will be soon, ya old hag..." smirked Inuyasha from somewhere behind Kagome. "We aren't scared, so you can just stop thinking that right now..."

Kaede nodded knowingly. "Of course, Inuyasha..."

Sango and Miroku laughed. "Well, you two certainly need to get on with it. That's all she's saying. It's been over a month, you know..." Miroku reminded them.

>>>>>>

"Inuyasha...are you all right?" Kagome asked.

He sighed. "The others are right, you know. Maybe we are scared...but I just...I don't want to lose you. Every time I manage to get the guts to say what I want to say or do what I want to do, I end up losing you...and last time, Sesshoumaru's sword wasn't very willing to bring you back."

Kagome shook her head. "Inuyasha...I'm not going anywhere. There is nothing after us anymore. The jewel is gone..." she took several steps toward him, until she was only inches from his face. "You're never going to lose me again..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.

Inuyasha grinned, returning her embrace, and rested his chin on her head. "They _are_ right...and so are you..." he nodded. He stroked her hair for a moment before he gently moved a small section of it off of her neck. He opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but Kagome beat him to it.

"I know," she whispered, holding her index finger up. "I'll be fine. It doesn't hurt," she told him.

In the bushes nearby, Shippo frowned. "You know, Inuyasha's nose works really well. He knows we are here. When he gets mad at you guys for spying on him and Kagome, I'm going to laugh at you...a lot." he added for emphasis.

Miroku waved his hand. "Shippo, if he knows, he certainly doesn't care right now. Besides, it's not like they're doing _something else_..." he shrugged. "Then we wouldn't be here, would we?"

Sango's eyes widened. "Did I just hear that from you?" she blinked.

"What can I say, dear Sango?" he smiled.

>>>>>>

Inuyasha bit down lightly on Kagome's shoulder. However, unlike the first time he had tried this, Kagome did not gasp. He pulled back after a moment and smiled, gently wiping off the small trickle of blood that his bite had created. "Are you all right, Kagome?"

Kagome moved her hand up to the new mark and smiled. "I'm fine, Inuyasha," she nodded. "I feel much better now..."

Inuyasha smiled. "I'm glad..." he whispered. "Now...if you'll excuse me for a moment," he looked over at the bushes, and cleared his throat loudly. "You guys can come out now!" he called, and a dark blush crept onto Kagome's cheeks. "All three of you! I know you're over there!" he announced.

Seconds later, a very guilty looking Miroku, Sango, and Shippo emerged from behind the bushes. Sango was blushing almost as much as Kagome was.

"We were just...walking past..." she stammered, "and you see...we well...um..."

"Save it." Inuyasha smirked. "You've been there long enough."

Sango looked at the ground. They had been caught red handed.

Kagome took a deep breath and sighed, wrapping her arms around Inuyasha's waist. She smiled. "It's all right, Inuyasha. I mean, we went to their wedding, and you certainly teased them enough, so I think we deserve it...at least a little bit..." she told him.

He blinked several times. "But...it's different!" he groaned.

"I'm just so glad you two finally got it over with!" Sango smiled, jumping to her best friend and strangling her in a tight hug.

Shippo cleared his throat. "The process isn't complete yet, right Inuyasha?" he looked at the hanyou that was towering over him. "There is another part to it..."

Inuyasha growled. "Shippo, don't just announce things like that!" he scolded the young fox boy. "The lecher does not need any visuals!"

Miroku laughed whole-heartedly and grinned knowingly at his hanyou friend. "I already know all about 'the process'..." he whispered. "Sango has told me everything. I've learned a lot, you know..." he smirked, his eyebrow raising.

"Miroku!" Sango yelped, and she and Inuyasha both hit him squarely on his head.

The semi-conscious monk groaned from his place on the ground.

"Hmm..." Kagome couldn't help but laugh. "That reminds me of something I've forgotten to do..."

Both Inuyasha and Sango looked at her with curiosity in their eyes.

Sango was the first one to speak. "Kagome...what are you talking about? Is it something important...?" she worried.

Kagome shook her head lightly back and forth. "It's nothing bad..." she promised them.

Shippo blinked. "I'm confused."

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha and walked forward, once again throwing her arms around his neck. "This is what I have forgotten, Inuyasha..." she whispered into his ear as her hands moved slowly towards the purple beads of subjugation that hung loosely around his neck.

He grabbed her hands in confusion. "What are you doing?" he gasped.

Kagome kissed him lightly on the cheek, and moved his hands away. She smiled. "I'm going to remove the beads of subjugation, Inuyasha. I've always trusted you...after the first couple weeks I was here, I knew you didn't really need to wear the beads anymore...and I've always meant to remove them...I just never did. So I plan on removing them now..." she informed him.

He shook his head back and forth, and Kagome looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"No..." he told her simply.

She blinked. "But Inuyasha...I want to remove them. I thought that you would want me to take them off?" she questioned him.

He took her hands in his and kissed each softly. "No." he repeated. "I think I want them to stay. I like them there. After all, think about how many times your saying that word got me out of a hell of a lot of trouble..."

Kagome seemed to think about this for a moment, and sighed deeply. "Are you sure that you want them to stay?" she asked him.

After a moment, he nodded. "I'm sure." he smiled.

"All right," she sighed, removing her hands and kissing him lightly on the lips. She took his hand in her own. "Come on, Inuyasha. We're going to want to head back to the village before my mom and Kaede come looking for us."

Slowly, he nodded.

>>>>>>

Kaede grinned at the couple as they walked into her hut. "Welcome back, my young friends..." she grinned at them. "Did you have fun while you were away?" She paused and smiled to herself when she noticed the young miko's blush. "You have visitors..." she motioned towards one corner of her hut.

"I see you and Kagome are finally _there_," Kouga smirked as he stood slowly. Ayame, who had been sitting next to him, also stood.

"Hello," she nodded lightly.

Kagome looked at the two of them in confusion. "Is something wrong?" she gasped with worry. "Please don't tell me you have some bad news...I don't think I could handle any more, and today has been such a good day..." she rambled.

Kouga held up his hand. "It's nothing like that," he assured her. "I've just come by to announce Ayame's and my union...and to congratulate you and Kagome on yours..." he grinned with approval as he took a deep breath from the air around him, and noted Kagome's new change in scent. After a short pause, he sighed. "...Sesshoumaru sent us. He told me to tell you that he would be back here by the end of the month..."

"I assumed he would say something like that," Inuyasha confirmed.

Kouga took a deep breath. "Doesn't it feel nice?" he whispered.

Ayame stared at him in complete confusion, tilting her head to the side. "Doesn't _what_ feel nice?" she asked him after a short silence.

"Freedom..." he said simply. "The ability to finally move on with the rest of our lives...and knowing that nothing stands in our way anymore...?"

Inuyasha took Kagome's hand, squeezing it lightly and wrapping his other arm lovingly around her shoulders. "You don't know how good it feels." he agreed with the wolf demon for once.

"No, I think I do..." Kouga smiled. "You two have a happy life, Inuyasha. The next time I see you two, things are going to be a lot more different for all of us."

>>>>>>

**A/N:** Yeah, I know...:D Sorry. One more chapter guys...in which we see the last refrain from the long lost song this fiction was based on, our old buddy Sesshoumaru, and of course, the happy conclusion between Kagome and Inuyasha...:D LoL. Please review and let me know what you guys think!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Here's the final chapter! Please let me know what you think! And just so you guys know, the new story I have that will be out in a couple days is _not_ a sequel to this one...although I did leave this open ended so that there could be a sequel. I only used part of the last refrain of the song in this chapter, too...

**>>>>>>**

**Don't Cry for Me**  
_Chapter Fifteen_

"Lord Sesshoumaru, where are we going? Are we going back to see Lady Kagome? I liked Lady Kagome..." Rin rambled.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru hissed lightly, "do not babble." He paused for a moment. "But yes, you are correct. We are indeed going to see Inuyasha and Lady Kagome. They were recently mated..." he explained, but stopped short, wondering if the young human girl at his heels even knew what he was talking about.

"You mean married?" Rin asked.

Sesshoumaru nodded quickly. "Yes, I'm sure that's it."

Rin laughed. "That will be fun! Rin should pick Lady Kagome some flowers!" the little girl smiled, and ran ahead, where there was a small patch of purple and yellow wild flowers. She gathered a bundle of them up into her arms and raced back to Sesshoumaru. "See, Lord Sesshoumaru? Aren't they pretty?"

The demon lord did not say a word. "This is not really a social call, Rin...there are other things behind it..."

"Oh..." Rin whispered in understanding.

"And Rin?" At this point, Sesshoumaru had stopped walking all together.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?" she looked up at him.

He sighed. "Lady Kagome is going to look different...she will look more like Inuyasha...do not be rude to her..."

Rin looked at the demon lord for a moment as though he had gone crazy. "Rin would never do that to Lady Kagome, Lord Sesshoumaru!" she blinked.

"Good." he nodded firmly. "Now come along...we are almost there..."

>>>>>>

"Kagome...don't be so nervous. It's only Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha laughed, gently massaging her shoulders.

Kagome nodded. "Yes, Inuyasha. The same demon who used to try to kill us at least once a month...then all of a sudden, he's changed...and it's a nice change...but I can't help but be nervous..."

"Don't be. He is only coming to offer his blessing. He won't ever admit it, but he has changed more than you have in the past couple months, and he is probably even more excited about our mating and our pup than anyone else..."

"Except us..." Kagome reminded him with a laugh, and placed a hand on her stomach. The pup growing within her was only a few weeks old...her stomach had yet to grow beyond its normal size...but Inuyasha had already warned her that a demon pregnancy was shorter than that of a human.

She and Inuyasha were expecting the birth of their first child in a mere four months.

Shippo yawned and jumped into Inuyasha's arms. "Daddy, when is Sesshoumaru supposed to get here?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know, Shippo. Why don't you go play with Souta and Kohaku, and we'll come get you when Sesshoumaru arrives, all right?"

After a moment of thought, the kitsune child nodded, and jumped out of his father's arms and ran from the room.

Kagome sighed deeply, allowing her shoulders to sag, and Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her from behind. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled her scent and smiled. "Everything is going to be fine, Kagome..."

She turned slightly so that she could face him.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"What do you suppose it is that Inuyasha needs to show us?" Kagome questioned him, her voice dripping with the curiosity that she felt.

It was Inuyasha's turn to shrug. "I have no idea." he answered honestly. "I guess we'll find out everything as soon as he gets here."

Kagome's mother poked her head into the door. "He's here, you two. He's brought Rin with him. He's waiting for you outside..."

Kagome and Inuyasha each nodded.

Inuyasha took Kagome's hand and led her outside. Sesshoumaru was standing there, his face expressionless as it usually was, and Rin practically attached to his leg. She smiled at the pair as they walked out.

"Rin picked you flowers, Lady Kagome!" she smiled, rushing forward to place the flowers into the miko's hands.

Kagome nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Rin."

"Hello, Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha greeted him.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat in an unnecessarily loud way. "We have something we need to discuss...and then I have something which I have to show you...it is very important..." he emphasized the last part.

"Hmm..." Inuyasha replied. "Well, let's find someplace to sit down so we can talk..." he decided, and took a seat next to the fire that was built just outside of the old woman Kaede's hut. The old woman rushed forth from the small one room hut, shooing away several children who were playing near the fire, and winking at Sesshoumaru to continue.

Sesshoumaru looked at the ground for a moment, and then met eyes with Inuyasha. "Now that you have found a mate and an heir..." his eyes went to Kagome's stomach, and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks, "it is time for you to take over your rightful role in ruling father's lands..."

Inuyasha's eyes widened considerably, and Kagome's eyebrow rose with interest. "What does that mean, Sesshoumaru?" she gulped. "There's not any..._problems_...are there? He's not going to have to...?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head quickly. "Oh, no..." he frowned. "It is just finally Inuyasha's time to receive his true inheritance..."

"Huh?" Inuyasha yelped in surprise. "But I already have tesseiga. I don't need anything else..."

"And I have tenseiga and one of father's castles all to myself..." Sesshoumaru countered. "You are missing part of the picture, Inuyasha. Think about it. What did I tell you back before you even marked Kagome?"

Inuyasha thought about this for a while. Kagome blinked as she watched her younger brother, Sango's younger brother, and Shippo run around one of the nearby trees and straight into Sango and Miroku's hut. Shippo seemed unconcerned about their visit with Sesshoumaru now that he was playing with his friends. Kagome smiled internally, and cleared her throat, refocusing herself to the conversation at hand.

She tapped Inuyasha lightly. "Inuyasha...I think it has something to do with the other half of your father's lands. Remember?"

Sesshoumaru nodded, confirming Kagome's statement. "She is right, Inuyasha. You are now officially ruler of the East...one half of our father's dominion..."

Inuyasha's jaw dropped, and Kagome elbowed him in the side to remind him to close his mouth.

"I...are you serious?" Inuyasha stammered.

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath. "Yes...and on top of that...there is something that you need to see..."

"What is it, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha wondered out loud, still half in shock.

"Follow me, and bring Kagome with you..." he commanded.

>>>>>>

Sesshoumaru led the pair out of Kaede's village, through the forest of Inuyasha and deep into the forest. Inuyasha noticed that they were traveling in an easterly direction, and he took careful note of his surroundings.

The trio walked for quite a while before Sesshoumaru finally held out his hand and signaled his brother and his mate to stop. They did almost so almost immediately.

"Look," Sesshoumaru said rather sternly. "This is it. It belongs to you now..." he pointed.

He stepped to the side to allow Kagome and Inuyasha to get a better look at the structure that was standing in front of them.

Kagome gasped and paled, taking a tight hold on Inuyasha's hand and unintentionally squeezing it. "Inuyasha, look at it!" she yelped.

Standing in front of them was an old castle. It had ivy growing on its outer walls and wild flowers near the entry way. It was somewhat small compared to some of the places they had been and seen in their travels to find the jewel...but it was still vast enough.

The shoji doors were all still in perfect condition. Sesshoumaru led a shocked Kagome and Inuyasha forward, and slid one of the shoji doors to the side. "Go inside and look around..." he told them.

Kagome was first to go forward. Each room, although she guessed that none of them had been used in a long time, was clean, as though it had been maintained even while it sat empty. There was seven medium sized rooms and one very large room which made a sort of half rectangle shape. In the center, there was a well, easily accessible to each room, and a large tree, reminiscent of the sacred tree where Kagome had first met Inuyasha.

Inuyasha titled his head to the side. He glanced at his older brother, who still showed almost no emotion on his face. "This...this place...it is ours?" Inuyasha finally managed to ask.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, it is. This is where you, Kagome, and your family are to live for as long as you rule over a portion of our father's lands," he informed Inuyasha. "You could even have Kagome's family and your pack live here if you wanted...it is all up to you now..."

"My pack?" Inuyasha repeated.

"Your...your friends, Inuyasha. That monk and the demon slayer..." Sesshoumaru clarified.

"Ah..." Inuyasha realized.

"Sesshoumaru...thank you..." Kagome smiled at him. "This is...it's so nice. It's so much..." she stammered.

He shrugged. "This was all predetermined by mine and Inuyasha's father before he died..." he explained. "This was part of his will...and now it is part of your future...another piece of your destiny."

Inuyasha gulped. "I understand." he whispered.

Kagome looped one of her arms through one of his. "Come on, Inuyasha...let's go back. I want to...I want to show everyone..." she said happily.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "Take good care of this place," he warned them. "It did once belong to our father, after all..."

"I will, Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha promised. He held out his hand to his brother.

Sesshoumaru only stared at it. "What?" he demanded.

Kagome laughed nervously. "Sesshoumaru...don't be a stranger, all right?" she looked up at him. "Make sure you come back around after the pup is born," she added, and Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

>>>>>>

"What is it, mommy?" Shippo whined. "Why do we all have to walk all the way out here like this?"

Inuyasha groaned. "Chill out, squirt. It's not as though you are actually one of the ones doing the walking. You're getting a free ride..." He looked up at the kitsune that was sitting on his shoulder. "Besides, it's not like it's a long trip. Don't complain so much..." he scolded.

Kagome looked back at the two of them. "Inuyasha...be nice," she warned him.

"What is it, Kagome? Why are we walking all the way out here?" Sango asked.

"You'll see in a moment." Kagome promised with a smile.

After a few more minutes of silence and more walking, Inuyasha and Kagome ordered the group behind them to stop. They were now standing in front of a small mansion with several rooms, a well, and a large tree. The group stared.

"This is it!" Inuyasha announced proudly. "This place...it belongs to Kagome and me now..." he told them. "This place once belonged to my father..."

Miroku's jaw dropped slightly. "This is great, Inuyasha!" he gasped.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yes...but it's a bit too big for three people..." he smiled as he looked down at Kagome's stomach. "So we were thinking about letting Kagome's mom and brother come stay with us and take up some space..."

Kagome's mother paled. "Us? Stay here?" she yelped.

"Of course!" Kagome smiled, wrapping her mother and younger brother in a hug. "Besides, we knew that Miroku and Sango would need their own space for their family..."

Sango laughed lightly, and took Miroku's hand.

**When I get where I'm going  
There'll be only happy tears  
I will shed these sins and troubles  
I have carried all these years...**

"...but since the two of them have become like family as well, we couldn't very well have them too far away..." Kagome added.

"Huh?" Miroku grunted in confusion.

"We're moving you two out here, monk. We all started out together, and I don't plan on letting us get separated...even if it's only by a couple miles. We've been together this long, and good things have come from it. I don't think I want to jinx that...do you?"

"What do you mean?" It was Sango's turn to question them.

**I'll leave my heart wide open  
I will love and have no fear  
Yeah when I get where I'm going...**

Kagome wrapped her friend in a hug. "We mean welcome to your new home, Sango. This place is where we will make that new start that we've all been talking about for so long..."

>>>>>>

**A/N:** And...finished! Good for me...I even left it mildly open ended in case I wanted to come back later and add some sort of sequel thing! LoL. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Please review and let me know what you think, and thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!


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